Fading Remembrance
by XxMidnightWolfxX
Summary: A new rival is terrorizing the Ghost Zone & the real world. With Amity Park in ruins, people are fighting back. However, they still believe Danny Phantom will stand in their way. What'll happen when his greatest fear comes alive? SQL to Amity's Hero
1. Visiting A Friend

Hearts of Eternity: You asked me to write an epilogue for Amity's Hero. I gave you guys a sequel instead. :D

_Yes, it's here! The sequel has arrived. And it only took me one year. Imagine that :D _

_Okay, this chapter is really long (15 pages on Microsoft Word without all the little notes in the beginning and end) so I apologize, but I can assure you it has some action. And let's just say that the ghosts aren't very happy with Danny for what he did at the end of Chapter 16. _

_I'm letting you know now that if you didn't read Amity's Hero, or you did read it but don't remember anything, you will be lost as soon as you start reading this. _

CHAPTER 1

**_Fading Remembrance:_ **_At first, his only concern was being able to control his newfound powers. But as time passed by, new enemies came to power, and new hardships formed. What'll happen when Danny's greatest fear comes alive?_**A mysterious new rival is terrorizing both the Ghost Zone and the real world, but he only wants one thing. What will he do to get it? Friendships will be tested, emotions will be messed with, and the hidden truth is about to break from the surface. Will the hero finally fall? DxS, Action, Drama, Angst, etc.**

DEDICATED TO THE SUPPORTERS OF AMITY'S HERO!

**Disclaimer:**_ As you all know, I do not own DP, I just write, draw, and daydream about it. Danny Phantom is the creation of Butch Hartman.

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**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 1- Visiting A Friend

_Danny released two powerful beams of ectoplasmic energy but his opponent absorbed the attacks without the smallest sign of fear. He sent the blasts back just as easily. Danny flew out of the way, but they targeted him and he hit the floor before he realized what had happened._

_He looked around for anything that might help him but found nothing. He rolled out of the way as a purple light hit the ground and destroyed a massive amount of it._

"_Give up, Daniel. No matter how powerful you are, you'll never be stronger than me," a distant voice shouted. _

_Danny shouted back, but he was too focused on creating another blast to pay attention to words. His enemy had disappeared, and that wasn't good. He lowered his hand and looked around._

"_Show yourself!" Danny demanded. The rain poured heavily before him, but it still seemed too quiet. Finally deciding that he was alone, Danny began to fly back to town. However, he didn't get far as a flash of light appeared behind him. He stopped and turned around. It happened in an instant._

_He saw a bright purple light and let out a cry of shock and agony as it cut across his face._

Danny woke up with a start and put his hand to his right cheek. He was breathing heavily and it was still very dark out. The cut was gone and he had no idea how it hadn't left a scar. He fell back onto his pillow and took a deep breath.

"Not again . . ."

Danny checked the digital alarm clock by his bed. It was 4:15 AM. He closed his eyes and thought about the dream. This wasn't the first time he had one relating to the ghost war several months ago. Ever since last week he's been seeing flashes of it — the first time he transformed into his power-enhanced mode, hearing the news about Sam moving, Ember's clones and revenge, and now this.

Danny stared at the ceiling for a while and tried to figure out what these dreams meant.

_Maybe Sana's doing this to me,_ he wondered.

He thought about it for a while and then remembered that Sana didn't have the power to control dreams.

Danny closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep but was unsuccessful. He waited several minutes before getting out of bed and finding something to do. He sat down by the computer and noticed a small hardcover book on his desk.

Danny picked it up and began to flip through the pages. It was a photo album. One picture caught his attention. It showed Wulf standing with him.

Danny gasped. He completely forgot about visiting him. He closed the book and decided he'd go later with Sam and Tucker.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You just _had_ to ask the ghosts to rebuild the school didn't you? Of all the things to help with, you get them to help send us _back to school_?" Tucker exclaimed.

"You're lucky they weren't seen," Sam told Danny. He rolled his eyes.

"Guys, relax. It's done. And I doubt they would've been seen. There were only five. Everyone else is against me, remember?"

"Still, why the school?"

"Where else were we to go? The Nasty Burger? Star knows I'm always there. There isn't enough aspirin in the world to cure the headaches she gives with her questions."

Sam and Tucker exchanged looks of confusion. Danny sighed and remembered that he never got the chance to tell them that she knew his secret.

"Nevermind. I'll tell you later."

"I knew she was annoying, but she never questioned me," Tucker said.

The three of them stopped by the band room and Danny opened his locker to retrieve his books. Sam checked her watch.

"Hurry up, we've got two minutes until the bell rings."

"Hang on, I just need my Global text—"

Danny froze at the sight of the book. It had many different shades of purple in the background of the cover picture. Sam and Tucker tapped him, but he showed no response.

"Hello? Danny, are you okay?" Tucker asked.

"I had a dream last night," Danny said quietly. He closed his locker and they continued walking.

"Another one? Dude, what's up?"

They stopped at the next row of lockers and Tucker undid his combination. Sam and Danny waited for him to get his books.

"I dunno. I thought Sana had something to do with it but she's not able to control your dreams. She just invades and shows them."

"What was this one about?" Sam asked. Danny looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"His new power."

"You mean the purple hand thing? Again?"

"Tucker, be serious. Danny, Plasmius isn't going to be showing his face in Amity Park for a long time. You have nothing to worry about," Sam said reassuringly.

"'You're starting to sound a lot like Jazz, Sam. _These dreams are images created by your fears. They're just figments of your imagination,_" Danny said in a mocking girly voice. "I'm not having these dreams because I'm worried."

"I do _not _sound that snobby," Jazz said angrily. The trio turned around quickly and saw a pretty girl with long red hair standing with her arms folded over her chest. She was wearing her usual black shirt with teal pants and matching headband and shoes.

"For _once_, Jazz, can you mind your own business? This doesn't concern you," Danny snapped. Jazz glared.

"It does if you're talking about me."

Danny opened his mouth to retort but Sam and Tucker ran by, grabbed his arms, and dashed down the hall before the two siblings argued through the late bell. They stopped in front of the Global room and released Danny. He stumbled back and fell.

"Can you guys warn me when you're gonna do that? Maybe next time I can run _with you_?"

"Sorry Danny, but when you and Jazz start going at each other, there's no end," Sam said in an exasperated tone. "I'll see you guys at lunch," she added, looking up at Tucker. The two boys nodded and she ran down the hall to her fourth period class.

Danny stood up and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He smiled and leaned against the wall. "Can you believe it? We're actually early."

"By a minute," Tucker stated as he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Danny shrugged.

"It's still an improveme—"

"Danny, hi!"

Danny's eyes widened and he turned his head in alarm. Star was walking up to them. He let out a nervous yelp and jumped off the wall to face the door. Tucker stumbled back in shock as Danny kicked it with full force. It swung open and hit the wall of the room with a loud thud.

The raven-haired teen ran in just before Star reached them. She paused and stared at the dent in the door.

"I've never seen somebody so eager to go to Global," she said. The shrill ring of the bell echoed through the hall and students began entering class. Star ran off and joined Paulina.

Tucker entered the room and searched for his friend. He didn't have to look for long when he noticed a familiar white shirt and blue jeans under one of the desks.

"Is she gone?" he whispered. Tucker laughed.

"No, she has class with us this period. Dude, chill. She just said hi. Now can I take my seat?"

Danny crawled out from under his friend's desk and sat down next to him.

"I know, but lately she's been popping up everywhere I go. And I'm afraid she's going to blackmail me again. I'm not sure if she's decided to keep her mouth shut or not."

"Blackmail? What are you talking about? Something related to ghosts?"

Danny's eyes widened and Tucker took that as a signal to turn around. Valerie Gray sat down next to Kwan and opened her books. She saw them and waved. They waved back, though not so enthusiastically. As soon as she turned away, their smiles disappeared and they sighed with relief.

"Maybe we should stop talking about ghosts where ghost hunters can hear," Tucker suggested. Danny nodded in agreement. Valerie decided to call a truce at the spring dance, but he knew her too well. She always judged without getting all the facts. One wrong move and she'd be back to trying to shoot him down. Not to mention the fact that he revealed her secret to her father and got her grounded for about a month. It'd be best to keep his distance.

The period ended after what seemed like an eternity and the two teenage boys ran down to the cafeteria to meet their gothic friend. She already had seats reserved for them and was poking her salad with her fork.

"Hey Sam," Tucker greeted as he and Danny took their seats. Sam jumped up in surprise and looked up at them.

"Will you stop catching me off guard like that? I was deep in thought."

"About what?" Danny asked.

"I'm trying to see if we can change your schedule a bit."

Sam put her fork down and reached into her bag. She pulled out a familiar lavender colored notebook. This was where she kept track of Danny's enemies, powers, progress, and a list of people who were on his side. She flipped through the pages while Danny and Tucker went to get lunch. When they returned, she showed them the page she was looking for.

"I've been writing all of Vlad's powers in here too. If we clear up our schedules a bit, I think we can start to teach you what he knows."

"I dunno, Sam. It took him years to learn those tricks—"

"Because he didn't have a list of what he would learn right in front of him."

"True, but even if I do learn these powers before I'm supposed to, he'll still have more experience than me."

"I think we should focus on getting you in your power-enhanced mode again," Tucker said. "It's pretty useful."

"And pretty hard to do," Danny said bitterly, more to himself than to his friends. He closed the book and handed it back to Sam.

"I wanna take a break from all the ghost stuff for a while. I might leave the ghost hunting to my parents for about a week. That'll give me enough time to relax and catch up on my studies. I'm seriously close to flunking English and Math."

Sam looked disappointed but Tucker merely shrugged.

"Your choice. We're with you all the way."

"Good, so then you'll come with me to visit Wulf today?" Danny asked hopefully. Sam sighed.

"So much for taking a break," she said sarcastically.

"Wulf? But that would mean going into the Ghost Zone," Tucker said fearfully. Ever since the end of the war, he's been uneasy about getting close to the ghosts.

"You're afraid of the Ghost Zone?" Sam mocked.

"Of course I am! I'm not going in there for at _least_ another two weeks. I got beaten up last month and I don't want it happening again any time soon."

"So hug your PDA," the Goth teased.

"Guys! Please? He helped us. The least we can do is visit him. Besides, he can protect us if anything goes wrong."

"Nuh uh, no way," Tucker said at once. Sam leaned against the table and thought about it. Danny tried to find another way to persuade them.

"If you don't go with me, I'm going alone. And keep in mind that I may never come back if I run into a few old enemies."

His last words got their attention. Tucker gave Sam an uneasy look and they both turned to Danny. He smiled pleadingly and they moaned.

"All right, but if I end up in a hospital, I'll make sure you're there with me," Tucker warned. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny dropped his backpack on the floor as he entered the house and looked around.

"Mom, Dad? I'm home," he called.

"Hi, sweetie," Maddie greeted from the kitchen.

Sam shut the door behind her and she and Tucker followed Danny into the living room. Maddie joined them several minutes later. She put down a plate of hot cookies on the coffee table and sat down.

"So, how was school?"

"Same as usual," Danny replied, though it wasn't the exact truth. Things have been changing at Casper High. A new security system was set up a few weeks ago. Guards now stood at the entrance of the school. They were checking students' bags for anything ghost-related. Only GRC's were allowed since they didn't hurt humans and detected when a person was being possessed. Danny had to fly through the back to avoid getting his parents' weapons taken away. He needed them for fights.

"Where's Dad?" Danny asked.

"Upstairs working on another portable ghost shield," Maddie replied.

"Okay, Sam, Tuck, and I are gonna be in my room. If you need me, just call. And make sure to yell really loudly. Loud enough for someone in the basement to hear."

Maddie stared at him awkwardly. The three of them ran upstairs and Maddie stood up. She opened the pouch on her belt and took out a spare GRC. Once at the foot of the steps, she pointed it at Danny. It began beeping, but nothing else happened. She lowered it and tapped her chin in thought.

_It sensed a ghost but didn't suck one out of him. So then he's not overshadowed, but there was still one present. But where?_

Maddie looked around expecting to see a ghoul fly by. The GRC remained silent, signaling that the room was ghost-free. She shrugged and went up to the room to warn Jack.

Danny blocked the door with his desk chair and turned back to his friends.

"I'm going ghost!"

The room flashed black and white and two bright rings formed around him. A black and white suit replaced his white t-shirt and jeans and his hair was now inverted. He opened his glowing green eyes and looked at them.

"Ready?"

"No," Tucker said at once.

"Relax, we'll be fine," Sam said, giving Danny her hand. He took it and grabbed Tucker's wrist. All three of them became transparent and light as a feather as they phased through the floor and into the lab.

Danny released them a few feet in the air. Sam landed on her feet but Tucker . . . well, Tucker didn't.

"This is it. Stick together guys. And keep your cell phones out incase I need to contact you."

"I doubt our service will work in another dimension," Sam said. She held up three pairs of Fenton Phones. "Perhaps we can use these?"

"Use whatever works. And stay close to me."

Danny put on his Fenton Phones and flew into the portal. Sam ran in after and Tucker followed closely behind.

Danny sighed with relief when he saw that the Ghost Zone was ghost-free at the moment. He made a mental note to avoid all doors. There was a loud shout from behind and he turned around in time to see Sam and Tucker falling. He dived after them and grabbed their wrists.

"Why the heck didn't we take the Spectre Speeder?" Tucker snapped.

"Come on, we've got a clear path," Danny said, gesturing ahead. He flew forward and their search for Wulf began.

The Ghost Zone seemed endless. An eerie greenish-grey fog swirled around them. Doors with different designs floated in the air. Each of them led to a different room, though the room was not visible if the door was shut. The sky was many different shades of green. As Danny flew deeper into the Ghost Zone, the sky grew darker.

He spotted a floating piece of land a few yards ahead and decided to stop there and take a break.

"How long have we been flying?" he asked.

"About twenty minutes. Can we turn back now?" Tucker pleaded. Danny looked up. The sky was almost black. If they flew any further they'd be caught in the darkness.

"I guess we have no other choice."

Danny heard a distant echo and stood up. Sam and Tucker listened too. It was very faint.

"I have a feeling we're not alone," Sam said. Her voice sounded panicked. Danny squinted his eyes to see past the fog. Figures were approaching them. He couldn't make out who they were, but he knew there were many.

He felt his heart beat twice as fast when he saw the familiar flame-like hair of Ember in the front of the crowd. The voices diminished and the approaching crowd stopped. Many glowing eyes were focusing on one area.

Danny gulped. He remained frozen in the air. Tucker and Sam followed his lead and stood still. Hopefully, they would be mistaken for something else. A few figures moved closer, but they were still about twenty yards from the teenagers.

Suddenly, the ghosts took to the air and flew at them like a massive wave. The eerie calm of the Ghost Zone disappeared as angry shouts filled their ears. Danny flew down, grabbed Sam and Tucker, and flew back up.

"Go faster!" Tucker shouted. Desiree was already a few feet behind them.

"I can't!"

He dived and Desiree flew over them. She and the others dived as well. Danny looked back over his shoulder. They were completely surrounded. Ghosts behind them, around them, below them—

"Look out!" Sam yelled. He looked ahead and pulled out of his dive immediately. The gust blew a few grains of sand from the floor as he passed.

Skulker flew in front of them and held out his arm. The metal separated and a weapon emerged out of it. Danny didn't change his course. He gritted his teeth in concentration and created a green ectoplasmic shield. He flew into Skulker and the shield made impact with him and the several other ghosts around him.

Danny knew they were greatly outnumbered. Tucker and Sam were getting heavy and he slowly started descending.

"What were the chances that _all_ of them would be together the day I come?" he muttered angrily. He jolted forward and screamed in pain as something hit him in the back.

They landed roughly on the purple sand beneath them. Danny's arms were around each of his friends. Sam and Tucker got up and helped him to his feet. Danny barely had a chance to look up as another strong force of energy hit them.

The ghosts dived down to attack, but Danny put up a shield around them. Sam looked up.

"Danny, there!"

Danny didn't look. His eyes were shut tightly and his shield was weakening. He gave a powerful push upward and the shield disappeared. An ectoplasmic blast was released from his hands and a fraction of the ghosts were thrown back.

"What?" he asked quickly. He turned to where Sam was looking and saw a silver door with four long scratch marks. "Wulf . . ."

A red beam of light flew over his head and Danny immediately recognized it. Tucker had his GRC raised and was sucking in the nearest ghosts.

"I can't hold them all off. Hurry!"

Ghosts were flying in from all different directions. Danny blasted the ones behind Tucker and Sam and then flew back into the air. He held out his hands and his friends grabbed onto him.

"WULF!" he shouted loudly. The door remained shut. He tried again, but nothing happened. They were nearing the door and it was still locked.

"WULF! VIA AMIKOS!" Tucker yelled.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked. Tucker shrugged.

"I think it means _your friends_ but I'm not sure."

The door creaked open and a beast's face looked out. His eyes widened when he saw practically every ghost in the Ghost Zone chasing his friends. He swung the door open just in time for Danny to fly in and then shut it.

Danny dropped Sam and Tucker and stopped, barely avoiding contact with the wall. He remained silent for a few seconds to see if the group behind the door had disappeared. There were voices but he couldn't make out what they were saying with all the banging. He was afraid the door would break down. Wulf glanced around at them all with a confused look on his face. Tucker decided to speak first.

"Saluton, kiel vi fartas?"

Danny and Sam exchanged looks of confusion, but Wulf seemed to understand.

"Good," he replied in English.

"You speak English now?"

Wulf shook his head and said, "Very little."

"It's better than nothing. So what have you been doing?" Danny asked. The beast-like ghost pointed to a book by the bed of the small room. Danny picked it up and examined the cover. It was an Esperanto to English dictionary.

Sam turned back to Wulf. He seemed troubled by something.

"What's wrong?"

Wulf looked at her but remained silent. He seemed to be trying to think of what to say.

"Fantomo . . ."

Sam and Danny turned to Tucker for a translation.

"Ghost," he said simply.

"Ghost? What about a ghost?" Danny asked.

"Friend . . . danger. New ghost. Tro multa potenco."

They turned to Tucker again but he had the same confused look. Danny flipped through the pages of the dictionary.

"Too much power," he translated. "So there's a ghost with a lot of power roaming around the Ghost Zone now? Have you seen him before?"

Wulf nodded. "Once," he replied before lifting up the sleeve of his torn sweat suit and revealing a large wound on his shoulder. Danny stared wide-eyed at the large gash. It was similar to the one Vlad gave him last month. Wulf covered the cut and spoke again.

"Estas multa fumo de verda kaj griza."

"He said there was a lot of green and grey smoke," Tucker said promptly.

"Kaj reale malluma."

"And it was really dark."

"Is he still in the Ghost Zone?" Sam asked. She looked at Tucker.

He opened his mouth to translate that into Esperanto but Wulf replied, "Yes."

"Good, all the more reason to leave."

"Relax, Tuck. Are you going to be all right in the Ghost Zone or do you want to come with us?" Danny asked. Wulf raised one of his paws to reveal five long claws.

"Wulf visit and help friend when friend needs help," he said and clawed at the air. It tore apart as though he was cutting through paper. Danny saw a part of Casper High before the portal disappeared.

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

Wulf smiled and created another portal for them. This one was wider and it led to Danny's basement. Tucker was the first to run through it.

"Bye," Sam said as she and Danny stepped through it together.

"Adiau."

Wulf's room disappeared from sight. The only light in the lab now was coming from the glowing vortex of green in the Ghost Portal.

"We went through all of that for a three minute chat?" Tucker asked.

"I hope none of the ghosts escaped while we were gone," Danny said, completely ignoring him. He placed his thumb on the genetic lock and the doors closed. Tucker flicked the light switch on and illuminated the room.

"You should be more worried about that ghost Wulf mentioned. If it took _him_ down, it's obviously going to be a challenge for you," Sam stated. Tucker nodded in agreement.

"Did he say what it looked like?"

"No, but I'm not that worried. If I could beat Plasmius, I'm sure I can handle this. The ghostly wail should be helpful. Besides, how hard can one ghost be after you've battled everyone in the Ghost Zone?"

Danny froze immediately when a blue vapor escaped his mouth and sent a cold feeling through him.

"I think we're about to find out," Tucker said in a panicked voice. He ran behind one of the tables and Sam took a cylindrical looking weapon from one of the shelves.

"I'm going ghost!"

A blue ring formed around Danny's waist, but disappeared shortly after when Danny was knocked to the ground by a plump blue ghost.

"Beware!" he shouted. Danny raised a brow and stood up.

"I haven't seen you in a while. It was kinda quiet."

The Box Ghost raised his hands and a few boxes flew into the air.

"Foolish human, of course you have not seen me. I was busy planning your downfall in the safe confines of my rectangular room in the Ghost Zone while you were getting your butt kicked by my minions."

Danny let out a snort. "Minions? You've got to be kidding me."

The Box Ghost released the packages and they flew at Danny. He gave him an uncaring look and raised his arm.

Not even bothering to go ghost, he moved his hand through the air and created a small ectoplasmic shield. It faded shortly after the boxes hit it.

"Sam—"

"On it."

Sam raised her weapon and fired, but the Box Ghost levitated a small oval mirror and the beam reflected against it and hit Danny. He sat up and stared wide-eyed at the specter floating above them.

"No way! The Box Ghost did something . . . _smart_?"

"I am unstoppable!" he declared. "Feel my cardboard wra—"

"Okay, this is really getting annoying."

Just as Danny tried to go ghost again, theghost let out a yelp and flew back. Danny turned around, but the light flickered and they were surrounded by darkness. There was another scream in the distance.

"Tucker! Are you okay?"

"Can you please get off me?"

The lights went on again and Danny saw Tucker clinging onto Sam for protection. She looked very annoyed. He let go and dashed up the stairs.

"I suppose we're going to see green and gray smoke next?" Sam said with a smile. Danny laughed.

"Give him a break. I'd scream too if I wasn't so used to this."

"So you'd hug me too?" she teased.

"Not exactly. Where'd the idiot go?"

"Which one? There's one upstairs, one in front me, and—"

"Ha ha, you're hilarious. Seriously."

"I don't know. He ran off right before the lights went out."

She put the weapon back on the shelf and began walking up the steps.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah."

Danny looked at the portal one last time to make sure it was closed. When he turned around to follow Sam, he saw something from the corner of his eye.

There was a shadow on the wall, but this one was different. It seemed human, but he couldn't make out its exact shape because of the blurred grey outline. He turned around and saw nothing. When he faced the wall again, the shadow was gone, but a bit of fog was starting to form around the portal.

Danny looked around one more time and saw no one. He turned off the light and ran upstairs. Just as he shut the door behind him, the fog turned a shade of green and the shadow appeared on the wall again. A dark figure walked out into the center of the room. The shadow grew larger as the one who cast it moved closer. It stopped to face the door and narrowed its piercing grey eyes.

"You'll be at my mercy soon enough Danny Phantom," it whispered in a very cold and hollow voice.

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_Okay, sorry if I messed up on the Esperanto. I don't speak it, so please correct me if you do. Oh well — I tried. LoL, Wulf's gotta talk you know. _


	2. He Doesn't Know

Chapter 2! Not as long as the first, but still pretty long. Just to summarize the last chapter, Danny, Sam, and Tuck went to the Ghost Zone to visit Wulf and ran into a few old enemies. At the end of their visit, Danny saw something on the wall, but there was no one with him. When he left, a figure appeared in the room. And that's basically it. **BTW, I suggest you read the news report in Chapter 16 of Amity's Hero if you want to make sense of this chapter.**

**JK rulez:**_ Thanks. Chapter one was basically a prologue. Just explaining what was happening. It gets more interesting in Chapter 2. And Chapt 3 will basically explain what's going on._

**PhantomKat7:**_ LoL, I'm glad you're hooked. Yes, this new ghost is powerful. But you'll see how in this chapter._

**Liaranne: **_Great to see you back as well. I'm Glad you found Chapt 1 interesting. It gets better though . . ._

**Ilikedan:**_ Wow, thanks. If you liked the first chapter, you should continue with this story. The plot really thickens as it goes on. _

**Cakreut12: **_Hey! Long time no see—chat I mean. Well, now that you know it's up, we can pretty much chat through reviews since you haven't been on AIM for a while. And thank you for reading FR. I'm glad you're back!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Hola! Out of all of your fave non-main characters, two of them are in this fic. And that would be Kujo (yes I know it's spelled with a C in the book, but I always imagined it with a K before so w/e) and Wulf. As for the Box Ghost, I had to give him glory. He has so many fans. I might as well make him almost win a battle. And the new ghost, well, since I have you hooked, I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep reading and find out._

**Wishing For Rain: **_Hey! It's been a while since I heard from you. I'm having computer problems too with my main one. I'm using the second one. To send all of my "Fading Remembrance" info from that computer to this one took about 1 hr . . . and it was only a 4 step procedure. It's seriously messed up. Anyway, I'm glad to hear from you and I'm really happy that you "LOVE" FR. It's getting more interesting so hurry back and read some more. And I appreciate that you took the time to review. Hope to hear from you soon!__

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**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 2- He Doesn't Know

Danny reread the directions to the last question. None of it made sense. He glanced up at the clock hanging above the teacher's desk. The bell was due to ring any minute.

_We didn't learn any of this,_ he thought angrily.

"Finish up! You have about two minutes left."

Danny tapped the pen on the desk out of nervousness. It was bad enough that he was failing English and Math, but now Global was going to be added to the list. He scribbled a random answer on the test paper just as the bell rang.

"Tests up! You out!" the teacher bellowed over the noise of the chattering students now pouring out into the hall. Danny handed in his paper and ran out.

"Hey," Sam greeted when the three friends met up in the hallway. "How'd the test go?"

"Terrible! I failed, there's no doubt about it. I don't even remember learning half the things that were on it."

"Of course not. You fell asleep that period," Star reminded him. Her sudden appearance scared Tucker and he turned around quickly. Danny looked around, hoping for a ghost to appear and give him a good excuse to leave. Star raised a brow.

"You know, you can't avoid me forever. Who knows? Maybe I can assist you one day. And you giving me answers gives me more information . . . which will be helpful to you," she added, seeing Danny's reproachful look.

"How?" he asked bitterly.

"The more I know, the easier it'll be for me to understand the situation," Star replied. Sam kept looking back and forth at the two of them.

"Uh, someone care to fill us in?"

Star's startled reaction made it obvious that she had forgotten the Goth was there.

"You didn't tell them?"

"Tell us what?"

"We're gonna be late to lunch if we don't hurry," Tucker cut in, holding up his PDA.

"Star!" Paulina called.

"Oh crud. If anyone asks, tell them I was only talking to you because we got paired up for a project or something," Star said quietly. Then she turned on her heel and walked away casually. Sam watched her leave and then faced Danny.

"_Tell us what?_" she repeated.

"It's kind of a long story so I'll give you the details later. To put it simply, Star—"

Before Danny could finish his statement, he overheard two girls passing by. He recognized them immediately. They were two of Jazz's friends; Julie and Tara.

"Honestly, I still don't know what to believe. Inviso-Bill's been gone for a while so that might mean he fled Amity Park. And that would mean that he and Plasmius _were_ working together and that they both went into hiding," the taller one said. "But I don't want to judge yet. There aren't enough facts."

She had long wavy black hair that was tied up neatly and stood out against her slightly tanned skin. She wore black capris and a beige tanktop. The girl next to her was also very pretty. She had short blonde hair that was cut into layers and swayed freely just above her shoulders. Her clothes were similar to her friend's except for the fact that she was wearing jeans and the color of her shirt was blue.

"Do you really think his name is Inviso-Bill? I heard a few freshmen calling him 'Danny Phantom' after the spring dance," the second girl stated. Her voice was a bit rougher than the other's. The first one shrugged.

"I prefer Danny Phantom better. Hey, doesn't Jazz have a brother named Danny?"

"I dunno. She doesn't really talk about her family much. Why? Have you seen him?"

"No, but she mentioned that name a few times."

Danny ignored the rest of the conversation and gathered his books.

"No matter how many times you try to help them, they interpret everything the wrong way!" he said angrily. Tucker and Sam looked at him sympathetically.

"At least Vlad's got it hard now too. That means he won't be around to bother you as much," said Tucker in an attept to cheer him up.

"I doubt that. Vlad has ways of getting what he wants. He'll probably send someone else after me instead."

He slammed the locker door shut and Sam frowned.

"You really should be careful. Your locker was switched three times already. And you were lucky to get one far from the band room and closer to us this time."

The bell rang just as Sam finished and she and Tucker froze. Danny smiled and saved them the trouble of having to undo the combinations by phasing through their lockers and throwing their books in for them.

"Thanks," they said quickly as the three of them ran to the cafeteria.

Danny spent the rest of the school day trying to eavesdrop on people. He never noticed that they spoke about that rumor, but now that he knew, he was determined to get as many opinions as possible.

"I think the mayor is right. Inviso-Bill and Plasmius definitely look like enemies to me. And Inviso-Bill just tried to save Amity as a bonus to make himself look good. Kinda like a two-for-one thing. Beat your enemy and give yourself a good name while you're at it."

"No way! Plasmius' attack could've killed — well, hurt him. Why would he fly in front of the blast and risk injuring himself just to save us? If he didn't, the town would be destroyed and he wouldn't even have to worry about being the bad guy. I think he's okay."

"So naïve . . ."

"Danny!"

"Huh?" Danny turned around and noticed the liquid in his tube was bubbling. Sam pushed him down just as the glass shattered and an orange chemical splattered across the table. She folded her arms and gave him her usual scowl. He smiled apologetically.

"Danny, I know you're concerned and all, but you really should start paying more attention in class. Like you said, you're on the verge of failing," Sam lectured as the three of them walked home. Danny stared attentively at the passing people. Sam noticed and sighed.

"Hello? Earth to the halfa. Danny, say something." Tucker waved his hand in front of his best friend's face, but Danny made a flapping motion with hisown to silence them.

Julie, Tara, and Jazz were walking behind them. Jazz noticed him and waved. Her two friends turned to face him and he looked away. He heard the name 'Danny Phantom' when they were talking, and it was Jazz who said it.

"Where's she going?" Tucker asked when he noticed the three girls turn a different direction. Danny shrugged.

"Who knows and who cares?"

Sam opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when a familiar voice called her name. She saw her mother across the street wearing her usual colorful and girly dress. Her expression wasn't welcoming and Sam knew why. When her parents found out that she snuck back to Amity Park last month, they blamed it on Danny since he visited them just before and never got a chance to talk to her. They thought she went back to see him.

"Uh, guys?"

She didn't need to finish. Both boys said "good-bye" and ran off before Mrs. Manson could give them trouble.

"Well, I think it's safe to say Mrs. Manson isn't much of an Inviso-Bill fan," Tucker said as he and Danny neared his house.

"Just great," Danny mumbled. "See ya."

"Bye."

Tucker ran off and Danny continued walking until he saw a red building with many metal devices on the roof. He unlocked the door and went inside. The house was empty so he assumed his parents went out. There was a twenty dollar bill on the fridge for him to order pizza, but he didn't bother.

Danny threw his bag beside the living room couch and sat down. It's been weeks since the last ghost attack. Of course, there were the occasional ghosts in the lab, but nothing for the public to see. So why were they still talking about what happened? He was hoping to forget about it and move on.

"Oh well. At least the ghosts have stopped wreaking havoc," he mumbled to himself, trying to look at the positives. It was true. Lately, he's had a bit more free time. It was almost as if they were afraid to return. Either that or they were waiting for something.

Danny bent down and took out a few of his books to begin his homework. The next few minutes passed by in silence and he was still reading the first question. It seemed like there was someone else in the house, but he would've heard something by now if there was. He reread the question again but paid no attention to it. After so months of having his powers, he knew better than to ignore his senses, and he was definitely not alone.

Danny put the book down and stood up. He closed his eyes to concentrate and then opened them again. Whatever was with him was in the lab. He took a deep breath and walked toward the door leading to the basement.

Danny twisted the knob and pushed forward slowly. The door creaked as it opened and he reached for the light switch on the wall before entering. The lights hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room and Danny stepped in. Nothing was out of place. It was the same as he had left it. The portal was shut as well. Only one part of the room seemed dark, but he assumed it was just the shadows of the shelves around it. He turned around with every few steps. There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as he knew, but the feeling didn't go away.

Suddenly, a loud ring pierced through the silence and Danny jumped in fright. He heard his heart pounding loudly and clutched his chest. His cell phone was vibrating and he reached into his pocket for it.

"Hello?"

"Danny, it's Sam."

"Oh, hey," he said calmly.

"Sorry about my mom. She's a bit stubborn. Did you and Tucker get home okay?"

Danny smiled. "Relax Sam. There hasn't been a ghost outside for weeks. I doubt one is gonna pop up out of nowhere and try to strangle us."

"You never know," was Sam's reply.

"And you think _I'm_ overprotective?"

"Your parents are out aren't they?" she asked knowingly.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"It's pretty quiet."

"It was until you called," Danny said. The lights flickered again and he looked up just before the darkness engulfed him. A cold feeling swept through him and his ghost sense went off. "Uh oh."

"What happened?"

"The lights went out again." Danny stepped back, but something grabbed his ankle and he screamed.

"Anny! Are oo o-ay?"

Sam's voice was breaking up. Danny looked at his phone. The signal faded. He turned around and began to run, but something tripped him. He landed flat on his stomach against the cold floor of the lab. There was definitely someone with him. But who?

He felt something looming over him and looked over his shoulder. All he saw was darkness. Just as Danny was about to get up again, a cold and smooth hand wrapped around his wrist. He broke free easily and began to run again. Whatever was following him was no doubt a ghoul.

"Either some lame ghost is trying to scare me witless, or I'm in real danger," he panted as he sprinted up the stairs. He opened the door and dashed out. The light from the windows made him feel more at ease as he entered the living room. Now he could see whatever he was fighting.

Without hesitation, Danny transformed and turned toward the door. It was still open, but he couldn't see past the darkness of the basement. He turned around incase the specter was behind him but noticed something else. There was a shadow on the wall. Danny felt his heart rate increase as the shadow grew larger. It had a blurred outline but he could make out its long claw-like fingers.

A green ectoplasmic flare formed in his left hand and he turned around. The blast was released as he turned and hit a tall figure like a whip. However, the attack did nothing. The figure kept walking.

Danny barely had a chance to move as he was hit directly in the chest with one swift motion. Everything happened in a blur. He hit the wall behind him and fell to the floor. In the same swift speed, the ghost sprinted toward him. Once again, he looked like a black blur. Danny didn't even get a chance to blink. It hit him again, but this time the force of the push broke the wall and led them into the kitchen.

Danny fell onto his back. The figure stood above him with its hand on his chest again. It immediately jumped up and dug its claw-like fingers into the ceiling. He knew it wasn't through with him yet and stumbled to his feet.

The ghost pushed of the ceiling and dived toward him. Danny created a shield and the specter flew straight into it. However, unlike all other ghosts, this one didn't get thrown off. It stayed in the same position and tried to break Danny's shield. He slowly felt his power diminishing and dropped to one knee.

The ghost didn't give up. It gave another forceful push and Danny's shield disappeared. However, as soon as it did, another one replaced it and Danny pushed himself up. The ghost hit the barrier and fell back. It regained balance halfway through its fall and landed on its feet. Danny was taking deep breaths. His knees wobbled a bit and he stumbled back. He looked up at his enemy. For once, it remained still.

The ghost had spiked black hair thatstood out against its dark grey skin. It wore a long cloak that ended by the ankles. Two silver belts hung loosely around its waste, but the cloak covered them along with its black shirt and pants. It didn't seem to be Goth, but it definitely looked like one.He looked down at him and their eyes met.

Danny's soft glowing green eyes stared into the figure's hollow and narrowed grey ones. He felt petrified and empty inside. The ghost smirked and Danny forced himself to look away.

"What do you want?" he asked. His enemy didn't reply. Instead, it rose a few inches off the floor with white sparks of electricity surrounding its body and raised its hand. Then it brought it down as if he struck a chord on a guitar. A black fist appeared in midair and flew at Danny. Just before it made impact with him, he took to the air and advanced on his enemy.

He held his hands out in front of him and clenched them into fists. The ghost ducked and Danny flew over it. Then, without warning, a familiar smooth and cold hand wrapped around his ankle and pulled him back abruptly. He flew into the kitchen table and knocked down a few empty dishes. They shattered on the floor and Danny landed beside them.

"My name is Evieor_,"_ the ghost said in a voice that caused Danny to shiver slightly. "Know it; remember it, _fear it_."

"Trust me, I already do," Danny replied, pushing himself up with his hands. He already felt like he was going to collapse, and he hadn't even weakened Evieor. The cloaked figure flew toward him in a speed so quick Danny barely even noticed what happened by the time his hand was around his neck.

"How're you so fast?" he choked. Once again, Evieor didn't reply. He raised his right hand and, to Danny's surprise, it began to glow. He recognized the power immediately and tried to escape, but the specter held him in a tight grip. A purple light flashed before Danny and he cried out, "NO!"

His shout made Evieor's narrowed eyes close in pain. White rings surrounding a powerful transparent beam pushed the ghost back. Danny continued to scream, making the ghostly wail more powerful. Evieor crossed his arms in front of his face as a shield. Danny stopped screaming and dropped to the floor. His enemy didn't seem exhausted at all. He merely smiled, revealing two sharp fangs.

"They told me you'd be hard to beat. I disagree. But then again, they've never battled me, so they wouldn't really know."

Danny wanted to ask who 'they' were, but he found it hard to move. He was on all fours and could barely stand up. Evieor stood where he was. It was as if he was amused by Danny's struggle. Finally, the teen fell over and closed his eyes. He had to use his last amount of strength on staying in his ghost form. If he phased back now, he wouldn't be able to change again later. When Danny opened his eyes, he saw a pair of dark boots before him. He looked up and stared into Evieor's eyes once more.

The ghost raised his hand and emitted another purple flare. Danny focused on one thing — one power that would give him the chance to get away. He became intangible and fell through the floor just in time. Halfway through his fall, a blue light engulfed him and changed him back to Danny Fenton. He landed on the smooth surface of one of the tables in the lab and slid off.

Fortunately, Evieor wasn't with him. If he could just transform again and phase through the wall—

"You won't escape!" a cold and deafening voice roared. Danny gasped as a greenish-grey fog formed around the door to the lab and traveled down the stairs. It spread like smoke.

_I'm trapped_, Danny thought helplessly. If he opened the portal, he was more likely to get thrown in rather than Evieor. There was only one option and it was risky. He took a deep breath and ran to the exit. Running right through the fog, he dashed up the stairs. The door was open and he made it out easily.

Danny didn't stop running. He had to get out and call for help. Just before he reached the outside door, a mass of black rose from the floor and blocked his way. He yelped in fright as the ghost grabbed his wrist and threw him against the wall. He looked furious.

"_Where is he?_" Evieor hissed.

"Who?" Danny winced when the figure tightened its grip on his wrist. It was colder without his gloves.

"_The one they call Danny Phantom!"_

Danny gasped.

_He doesn't know.

* * *

_

_Wow, talk about a rude awakening. So many ghost-free weeks and then this beast shows up and mops the floor with Danny. Not nice. And as for "Evieor", that wasn't his original name. He changed it when he became a ghost, but his real name was something else. You'll find out what it was in one of the later chapters, not that it's important._

_One more thing; a few of you might be confused because of the end of Chapter 1. Evieor watched Danny leave and then said "You'll be at my mercy soon enough Danny Phantom." He didn't know Danny Fenton was DP; he just looked at the door because that was the exit. So don't get confused._


	3. Ambition

_Thank you to all of my reviewers. You guys are truly wonderful. I really appreciate your supporting this story. So, once again, thank you!_

_Okay, Chapt 3 is here. This one might be a bit boring, but it's very informative so bear with me. Don't worry; the next one gets more interesting._

**JK rulez:** _Evieor doesn't just _seem_ bad . . . he _is_ bad. Terrible actually, and annoying. Now, as for what he's planning, you'll find out in this chapter. Note the title — Ambition. This chapter is basically him explaining his goals to his . . . eh . . . accomplices._

**Liaranne: **_LoL, any review is a good one. Wow, you're always so tired. I blame school._

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Whoa, long review. Okay, let's start with pity towards Danny and Sam. If you think Danny's in trouble now with the town thinking he's still evil, wait until the later chapters. Things really start to get complicated. And as for Sam's frilly dresses, you'll definitely be seeing that in one of the later chapters. Now, Evieor's claw thing — I don't recall any movies with that, but I'm not usually one to watch movies. Anyway, at least you can picture it clearly now. So that's a plus. And Evieor doesn't know Danny's secret because he's new in the GZ. He still needs to catch up. But the question I, will he find out? And why is Evieor after Danny? This chapt answers that one. Note the title "Ambition".

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 3- Ambition

Before Danny could answer, Evieor turned his head in alarm. Footsteps could be heard in the distance. Someone was coming. The ghost looked around and noticed a few weapons scattered on the table.

"So, this is the house of the Fentons. Of course, who else would have a ghost portal?"

Evieor released Danny and pushed him away. He stumbled back and rubbed his hand.

"What do you want?" Danny asked angrily. He closed his eyes as soon as he felt a change in them. Evieor jumped into the air and a spectral tail replaced his legs. He flew past Danny at a high speed and landed on the box of thermoses his parents brought out from the lab.

"Nothing I can't get," he replied simply before phasing through the window and vanishing from Danny's view.

The door opened and Jazz walked in. She saw the hole in the wall leading to the kitchen and frowned.

"Do I want to know?"

Danny shook his head and looked away.

"I'll be in my room."

Jazz shrugged and he dashed up the stairs, waving his hand to numb the pain. Once in his room, Danny sat down on the bed and grabbed the phone. He dialed a number and waited.

"Hello?"

Danny froze. He was expecting to hear Sam's voice.

"Hello?" Mrs. Manson repeated in a more irritated tone. Danny cleared his throat and spoke in a deep voice.

"Uh, hi. I'm calling for Samantha. We were paired up for a project."

To his relief, Mrs. Manson believed him.

"Sam! Some boy from school is calling about a project."

Danny heard shuffling noises on the other end and a pleasant voice greeted him.

"Hey Danny."

"How'd you—?"

"I've known you practically my whole life. You're the only person I know who'd make up something as lame as that," she replied smartly.

"Gee, thanks. Listen, can you connect Tucker? There's something important I have to tell you guys."

Sam noted the seriousness in his voice and did as she was told.

"Hello?"

"Tuck, it's Danny."

"And Sam."

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Trouble. I think there's a new ghost on the loose."

Tucker sighed. "It was bound to happen eventually. Don't worry. We'll take him down in no time."

"Don't be so sure. I just got a major butt kicking. We shouldn't underestimate this one," Danny warned.

"Okay, why don't you tell us everything that happened?" Sam suggested. Danny turned around to make sure the door to his room was shut before speaking.

"Remember when you called earlier? Right after we got disconnected, a ghost attacked me. I think this was the one that Wulf warned us about. He's extremely fast and nearly impossible to hit."

"That's not good," Tucker cut in.

"Where is he now?" Sam asked.

"Gone. He left after he saw my parents' weapons."

"Maybe he's afraid of them?" Tucker said. There were beeping noises coming from his end of the line and Danny and Sam assumed he was playing with his PDA.

"Either that or he doesn't want them seeing him and getting in the way of his plans."

"Or maybe he's just too weak to fight them at the moment," Sam said.

"I doubt that. He took me down in no time. But I might have two advantages."

"And what's that?"

"One, I'm a Fenton. And like you two said, he doesn't want to come face to face with my parents yet. And two, he doesn't know I'm half ghost."

"Seriously? Wow, he's slow. YES! High score!" Tucker shouted.

"He doesn't know you're Danny Phantom?"

"Nope. But he's looking for him, so that means I'm still on thin ice."

"No you're not. We've got your back," Tucker said. Danny smiled.

"Thanks guys. Oh, one more thing. When I was fighting him, he used Ember's and Vlad's attacks."

"Uh, care to specify?" Sam asked.

"He used Ember's guitar ecto-fist attack and Vlad's purple hand thing."

"You know, we really should give it a name," said Tucker.

"How? Do you think they've got something to do with this?"

"Definitely. But right now, I'm just interested in finding out how he's using their powers."

"How much do you wanna bet Sam's writing that in her book?" Tucker teased.

"Shut it!" Sam snapped. The boys heard her slam something shut and laughed.

Several Hours Later

The cool night breeze drifted into the dark room. The only light that was visible was coming from the moon slightly hidden behind the trees surrounding the mansion. Suddenly, the door creaked open as a tall figure entered and moved toward the window. He closed it and sat down.

A black circle formed on the rug and began to twist like a whirlpool. It spun faster with each second and a greenish-grey fog emerged from the edges.

"Just in time," the sitting man said as a ghost appeared in the smoke. "So what happened?"

"He got away," Evieor said angrily.

"So why didn't you go after him?"

"Why didn't I go after him? Incase you don't remember Plasmius, only a month ago that town was invaded by practically every ghost in the Ghost Zone. That means people are on high alert. Everyone is armed with weapons and they are ready to shoot down the first ghost they see. It wouldn't be very wise to just fly out into the open. Even if there is a chance of me being strong enough to take them down I don't want to risk it. I have to wait until I have more power."

"How much more do you need? You already have my strongest power, Klemper's ice breath, and Ember's—"

"Ember didn't give me a very strong power. She has the ability to control people and she gave me something as foolish as a giant fist."

"It packs quite a punch though, doesn't it?" Vlad asked humorously. Evieor frowned.

"I need more. There are many ghosts in the Ghost Zone who have abilities that I don't."

"So just take it from them," Vlad said carelessly.

"You know I can't do that. My power allows me to copy only one ability from each ghost _only_ if they are willing to give it to me. And I've had a few refusals. Many of them don't want to share their powers with me."

"Of course not. You're already stronger than they are. Many will think that you'll turn against them."

"You're just as strong as I am. They respect you."

"But I don't have _their_ powers. Perhaps they'd be willing to help you if they knew why you wanted to be so strong?"

"That would make it worse," Evieor replied.

Vlad gave him a questioning look. Evieor noticed and explained.

"Why do you think I'm trying to get rid of Danny Phantom? It has nothing to do with hatred toward the boy. You're as good as I am when it comes to strength and skill. Who knows, you're probably even better. And if he beat you, obviously he has more to him than we know. He didn't show any of it when I was battling him so I'm assuming it's only released when he's determined to win. If I get enough powers from other ghosts, I'll be close to unbeatable. And when I destroy Phantom, I'll be the strongest ghost in the Ghost Zone. I don't think the others would be willing to help me for that."

"And what about the real world?" Vlad asked, listening carefully to what his visitor was saying.

"I don't care about this filth," he snarled. "All I want is Phantom."

"Danny Phantom," Vlad corrected. "So that's it? You just want to kill the boy? What good will that do if all you want is to wreak havoc in the Ghost Zone? He'll only get in your way if you're causing trouble in the real world."

"Who says I'm only interested in the Ghost Zone? Maybe I'll have a little fun with Amity Park when he's out of the way. After all, you did say they have many weapons and are used to fighting ghosts. It'll be a nice little challenge to prove who is superior."

"Don't get too excited. You only have 3 ghosts who willingly gave you their powers. And one didn't even know why you wanted them. Others won't be too thrilled about helping you," Vlad warned.

"Then I'll settle for what I have and use them against those who refuse. I'll just have to get what I want by force."

"And then you'll go after Danny Phantom?"

"Exactly. But I should try to avoid the Fentons. I've heard they're the best ghost hunting family around," Evieor muttered to himself. He was referring to all four Fentons, but Vlad thought he meant Jazz, Jack, and Maddie.

"So your goal is to get everyone's powers, destroy Danny Phantom, become one of the strongest ghosts, and do it all without getting any attention from the humans? Wow, you really have no life," Vlad said. Evieor ignored his last remark.

"I don't care if the humans know. I'll try to fight Phantom inconspicuously, but if they interfere, I won't hold back. Nothing will stop me from getting what I want. Even if that means having to destroy all of Amity Park."

"How nice," Vlad said sarcastically. "The boy is tough. Whatever you do, don't threaten those he cares about. You don't want him getting mad. He's even a threat to me when he's angry."

"I'll take that into consideration," Evieor said. He turned his back on the halfa and took a few steps until a cloud of smoke engulfed him and left Plasmius alone in the room.

* * *

_Sorry, that was a short one. I told you it'd be kinda boring, but still significant. Still don't understand something? Ask away. Now you know why Evieor wants Danny out of the way, but as the story goes on, a lot of conflicts will arise. _

Next Chapter: Old Promises . . .

**Sneak Peek: **_(Not a very long one but it's better than nothing)_

"No, don't go. There's nobody here but us."

Danny started looking around nervously. He could feel heat rising in his face as the familiar sense of fear washed over him. How wrong she was . . .

"I have to go," he repeated. Before Paulina could say another word, he ran off, trying to lure whatever was with them away from her.

"No one's going anywhere," a deep and chilling voice said.


	4. Old Promises

_Okay, LONG chapter here. You might want to grab a snack. LoL, I wanted to cut it short but I couldn't. Sorry. Don't hate me. ALSO, this chapter refers back to Amity's Hero, chapter 11._

**Liaranne: **_Wow, my Spring Break hasn't even started yet. Yes, Saturdays rock. As for Evieor, he's _very_ creepy. And somewhat deranged. As for his plans — he has the ability to steal one power from each being (only if they are willing to give it to him). He tells this to Vlad in their conversation. He and Vlad are pretty even in power. Since Danny was able to defeat Vlad in the ghost war last month, he fears that Danny Phantom is currently the strongest ghost. He wants to obtain as much power as he can from other ghosts so that he can take down DP and become the strongest ghost. Get it? LoL. It's all explained in their conversation._

**Inumaru12:**_ Hey! Long time no . . . chat. o.0 You rock! And yes, the sequel has arrived my friend. Read and enjoy. I'm currently writing chapter 14, and from my opinion, the middle and end are much better than the beginning because the plot really thickens. There's a sneak peak of chapter 14 in my profile if you wanna check that out. I usually add updates in my profile._

**JK rulez:**_ Ahh, that happened with chapter 1 too. Thanks A LOT for telling me. I really appreciate it. And yes, chapter 3 was kind of boring. I'm not too fond of that one, but it's necessary. In my opinion, it starts getting interesting when the plot really starts to thicken (which will be soon). This chapter should be interesting too, but the plot isn't as strong yet. Also, you probably already know this, but there's been another update in my profile that's going to be removed, so check it out if you want. One more thing, this chapter refers back to Amity's Hero so don't think it's completely random. LoL, and thanks for the review!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Evieor didn't steal the box of Fenton Thermoses. He just jumped onto it because it was right near the window he was about to fly out of right after he answered Danny's question. Sorry if it didn't seem clear enough. Oh and no, Tucker cannot take anything seriously. But hey, every friendship needs a goof, eh? Evieor wants to get rid of DP (not DF) because at the moment, he (Evieor) and Vlad P are pretty evenly matched with power and strength. And since DP defeated Vlad in Amity's Hero, he (Evieor) believes that Danny could get in his way of claiming the title of the strongest ghost. He wants to take over the Ghost Zone and (maybe just to have fun) mess around with the human world freely without anyone being able to get in his way. But if Danny Phantom is stronger than him, he can't do whatever he wants without threat of being defeated. That's why he wants DP out of the way — so he can claim the title of the strongest ghost and be able to do whatever he pleases. Phew, my hands hurt now. Well, I hope I cleared up any confusions. If you still have any questions, feel free to email or IM me at ViAMysTeRy146 (aol. com)_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 4- Old Promises

"Anymore news about Evioer?" Sam asked the next day at school. Tucker sniggered.

"Evieor. What kind of a name is that?" he commented.

"No, he didn't come back," Danny replied.

"What do you suppose he wanted?" Tucker asked. Danny shrugged.

"I don't know. I never saw him before yesterday. Usually, ghosts only start hating me when I try to ruin their plan to take over the world or something. He just started attacking me for no reason."

"Maybe he's friends with an enemy of yours?" Sam suggested.

"Plasmius?" Danny snapped immediately. "Wouldn't doubt it."

"I never said it was Plasmius."

"What are the chances that it's not?"

"Maybe he's working alone," said Tucker. "All we have to do now is find out what his motive is and how he's getting other ghosts' powers and then send him back to the Ghost Zone."

"It's not that easy. If he's using their powers, then the ghosts probably know what he wants from me."

"Are you suggesting we ask a ghost?" Sam asked unbelievingly.

"I don't see any other options. It's either a ghost tells us or I find out directly from Evieor and get beaten to a pulp in the process."

Sam sighed. "You just never get a break do you?"

"Nope."

The three continued talking as they proceeded to their next class. Once she was sure she was out of their view, Star stepped out of the wall of lockers she was standing behind.

"Evieor?" she muttered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny decided to walk home after school. It wasn't safe for him to be seen in ghost form. It was bad enough that a few people still thought he was evil, but now he had another ghost to worry about.

_He doesn't know I'm half ghost_, Danny thought. _Does he know I'm Public Enemy number one? If he is working with Plasmius, then he must not know that Evieor doesn't know I'm a halfa. Either that or he's purposely trying to keep my secret. But I highly doubt that._

Danny snapped out of his thoughts immediately when he walked straight into the front door. He stumbled back and almost fell down the steps until the door opened and a hand grabbed his.

"Decided to use your face as a doorbell?" Jazz asked nonchalantly.

"Very funny," her brother replied sarcastically. He mumbled "thanks" and walked in.

"Let me guess. You'll be in your room?" Jazz assumed knowingly.

"Nothing gets past you," Danny said in the same sarcastic tone he used before.

He dropped his backpack on the floor and looked around. His ghost sense didn't go off so he closed the door and stepped farther into the room.

"What the heck happened here?"

His once clean room now looked as if every ghost in the Ghost Zone decided to pay him a visit while he was gone. His closet was open and a trail of clothes lay scattered on the floor. His blanket was halfway off the bed and his pillow was torn. There were magazines and old comics on the floor and the computer desk had fallen over along with the computer. His nightstand seemed to be the only thing that wasn't touched — unless you count the glowing green puppy sitting innocently on it. He was wagging his black tail cheerfully at the sight of the raven-haired teenager.

"You!" Danny practically shouted. The puppy let out a soft bark and jumped to the floor. Danny stepped over his belongings and tried to reach the animal. It began barking again and Danny could hear his father shouting something from downstairs. Just as it opened its mouth again, he dived down and put his hand to its face to mute the noise.

"Danny? What's going on up there?"

"Nothing! I just choked. I'm fine."

He turned back to the dog and uncovered its mouth.

"Be quiet."

It tilted its head a bit and Danny put his finger to his lips. The dog seemed to understand. He sighed with relief and let out a yelp as the phone rang and disturbed the silence.

"Stay," he said sternly. The phone rang again and he answered it hastily. "Hello?"

"Danny, it's Star."

Danny's heart sank. He was hoping to hear Sam's or Tuck's voice.

"It's been a while since you called. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to remind you of that little favor you agreed to do for me a few weeks ago."

Danny's expression turned to confusion.

"What favor?"

Star sighed. "You don't remember? I asked you to go on a date with Paulina after the whole ghost thing cleared up."

Danny gasped. He completely forgot about that.

"I don't think it's such a good idea. Not now anyway," he said.

"Why not?" Star asked a little too excitedly. She seemed to want to know something.

_Because there's an evil ghost looking for me and waiting to turn me into a speck of dust with powers that he took from my other enemies_, Danny thought to himself. He tried to think of an excuse.

"Because I'm busy," he replied lamely.

"Doing what? There haven't been any ghosts around for a while. Unless there's one that just showed up?"

Danny was getting suspicious. It seemed as though Star was trying to get information from him. He didn't want her to know about Evieor. Knowing Star, she'd probably try to help by taking him on. That would cause more problems for both of them. Danny bit his lip in frustration and turned to the dog that was now lying down on his bed chewing at the pillow.

"Oh no! Kujo! Bad dog! BAD! Get away from that!" he scolded. He grabbed the pillow and the two began to wrestle for it.

"Huh? Danny? What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said through clenched teeth. The puppy began growling and Star raised a brow.

"Uh . . .?"

"Egh! Dog drool. Fine, you can have it," he said in disgust. The dog wagged his tail happily and continued gnawing at Danny's pillow.

"You got a dog?" she asked, amused.

"No, he's a ghost pup. He won't stop following me."

Star laughed. "Aw, how sweet. You finally found someone who likes you."

"Ha ha," he said stiffly.

"Relax Fenton. I was kidding. Anyway, so what do you say?"

"I'm kind of in a tough situation at the moment."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, my ghost half isn't really safe."

"Really?" Star asked, showing interest. "And why is that?"

Danny gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Nevermind," he muttered. "Where do I meet her?"

"The park?" Star suggested.

"All right, but it's not a date. Just a walk. I can't stay for more than half an hour, okay?"

"All right. Wow, you must really be in trouble if you're giving up a date with Paulina."

_Tell me about it_, Danny said to himself.

"I'll meet her in an hour."

"Sure."

Star hung up and Danny fell onto his bed in annoyance, unaware of the slight yelp beneath him.

"She had to like my ghost half, didn't she?"

30 Minutes Later

"Are you ready?" Star asked.

"For what? A walk in the park?" Paulina replied. She was wearing her usual clothes. Star stood beside her while she tried to find different hairstyles.

"He didn't tell me why he had to cut it so short, but I'm sure it was very important."

Paulina finally let her hair loose and it fell to her back.

"But what should we talk about?"

Star smiled, almost as if she was hoping her friend would ask.

"I dunno. Anything, I guess. Ask him about the rumors if you want. See if there's another ghost fighting him at the moment. And if there is, get as much information as you can and please tell me about it."

"Sure, whatever. How do I look?"

"The same as you always do," Star replied truthfully. "Which is a good thing because you don't want to seem too desperate," she added when she saw Paulina's frown. She smiled reassuringly and Paulina took a deep breath.

"This is it."

"Relax, it's just a walk through the park. Nothing big. Oh and don't forget to ask about any new ghosts that he might be fighting."

"Why do you want know about that so badly?"

"No reason. Just do me a favor and ask. And don't mention my name!"

"Fine. I'll give you all the details when I come back."

"Yeah, thanks. Good luck."

She grabbed a jacket and ran out the door.

Meanwhile

Danny flew toward the park. He was more panicked than usual and kept glancing around incase someone or something showed up. He looked ahead and flew to the right immediately, barely making contact with a tree.

"Relax, there's no one following me," he assured himself. He flew through a few more trees and finally arrived at his destination.

"Just in time," he heard Paulina say. He smiled at her and then looked around again.

"Uh, so what's up?"

He mentally smacked himself for saying that.

What's up? What's wrong with you!

"Nothing new. The boys still act the same around me, I'm still popular, and the town's been ghost-free for about a week. How about you? I haven't seen you for a while."

Danny shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm trying not to be seen in public. Many people still think I'm trying to hurt them. And those rumors aren't exactly helping."

"I know what you mean. What really happened? You know, with the whole 'war' last month?" Paulina asked, moving an inch closer to him. He didn't notice since he was too busy trying not to trip or make a fool of himself in any other way.

"I don't remember much of it. Last time I tried to, I got a serious headache. To put it simply, too many things happened. One event after another."

"It must've been hard with everyone trying to get rid of you," she said. Danny let out a silent snigger.

"This town is a ghost's worst nightmare."

Paulina couldn't help but smile. She didn't know why, but this ghost in particular managed to steal her heart faster than anyone else she ever liked. There was just something about him that made her head over heels. She couldn't decide whether it was his looks or personality. Probably both.

"So, did anything exciting come up lately?" she asked. Danny looked at her and their eyes met for a second. Paulina quickly turned away when she felt her cheeks begin to burn, despite the fact that it was around thirty degrees.

"Uh, are referring to something that has to do with ghosts?" he asked, wondering why she suddenly became so shy.

"That depends. Have you fought any ghosts recently?"

"Uh . . . I-I, uh . . ." he stammered, trying to find a way to switch the subject. Paulina looked at him questioningly.

"Have you?"

"Not really," he lied.

"Not really? That's not a 'no'."

"And it's not a 'yes' either. Sorry, I have to go. It's not safe for me to be out in public. I might be seen."

Paulina looked disappointed.

"No, don't go. There's nobody here but us."

Danny started looking around nervously. He could feel heat rising in his face as the familiar sense of fear washed over him. How wrong she was . . .

"I have to go," he repeated. Before Paulina could say another word, he ran off, trying to lure whatever was with them away from her.

"No one's going anywhere," a deep and chilling voice said.

Paulina screamed and Danny turned around. Ice was forming around the gates of the park. It was blocking their way out. His only option now was flight. He began to run back toward Paulina, but a cold gust of wind pushed him back. He fell to the ground and sat up.

"GHOST!" she screamed. Danny turned to where she was pointing and glared.

"I can only imagine who that could be," he said sarcastically. He noticed a blue vapor rise before his eyes.

A dark figure emerged from the shrubs and stared down at them. Paulina took a few steps back, but the ghost didn't do anything to stop her. He was watching Danny Phantom.

Danny stared back into his enemy's piercing grey eyes, trying to fight back the emptiness it made him feel inside. But he couldn't. It was too strong. It was as though everyone he knew and loved was gone. There wasn't a spark of hope left within him.

He forced himself to look away and the depressing feeling was replaced with fear again. Evieor laughed.

"You're weak — filled with all these useless emotions. You can't even look your own nemesis in the eyes without feeling them."

"Leave me alone!" Danny cried out. He got to his feet and began to run. Evieor laughed with amusement.

"Keep running Phantom. It doesn't matter where you go. You can't hide from me."

Evieor raised both of his hands and fired two beams of ectoplasmic energy. Danny created a shield and reflected them back at the ghost. They faded away just before they reached him.

"Ghost boy!" Paulina called. Danny kicked off the ground and took flight. Just as he was about to reach her, a black blur sped past them and knocked him through the air. He jolted forward, did a side flip over her, and landed on the hard cement. Before he could get up, the black blur raced toward him again and stopped right beside him.

Danny held out his hand to create a blast but Evieor became intangible. He took a deep breath and blew out a strong wind. Danny phased through the floor and ice formed where he had just been.

The teenage ghost appeared behind his enemy and raised his hands. He brought them down and a glowing energy blade cut through the ground and advanced on Evieor. However, it disappeared just as quickly as it was made. Danny's eyes widened in surprise.

"What just happened?"

Evieor smirked.

"That blast was directed at me," he explained. "So it was willingly given to me."

"Huh?"

Evieor followed the same motion Danny made and a black blade-like blast appeared. Danny gasped in shock and created a shield. The blast cut through it easily and hit him with full force. He fell headfirst into the ground and slid back a few more feet.

Paulina's jaw dropped and she stood frozen to the spot. Danny slowly got up rubbing his head. He looked up at his opponent and saw two blurry figures. They were both moving closer to him. He closed his eyes and opened them again. Evieor was only a few feet from him.

"You-You took my attack?" he mumbled weakly.

"You catch on quickly, Phantom. Unfortunately, I can't take anymore. But I still have enough to take you down."

Evieor raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. A glowing purple light appeared and Danny got to his feet immediately. Evieor swung his hand through the air and Danny flipped backward to avoid being touched. The purple light passed under him and missed.

"One power," he said to himself. "He can only take one power only if it is willingly given or directed to him."

Evieor ran away swiftly and Danny felt something from behind. Halfway through his turn, a cold arm wrapped around his neck and held him rooted to the spot. He saw a purple hand coming close to his face and pushed back. Evieor released him and fell.

Danny created a blast and Evieor held out his purple hand. The blast hit it and turned the same color. Danny screamed in pain and looked at his hands. The gloves were torn and green blood was visible. His own blast had burned him.

Evieor jumped to his feet and flew into him. Danny fell back and his rival struck an invisible chord and created a giant black fist. The halfa raised his hands to prepare a defense and then winced. He flew out of the way instead and released two powerful green beams from his eyes. Evieor wasn't expecting that.

Danny's assault made contact with the ghost and he slid back a few inches. Danny's hands began to glow and he prepared to dive and attack. Evieor blew a gust of wind from his mouth and ice formed around Danny. He was stopped in midair and began to fall.

"Ghost boy!" Paulina shouted.

A red laser hit the ice and it began to crack. Danny used an aural blast to break the rest of it and flew back to the air as the ice hit the floor and shattered. He turned around and saw Tucker with Mrs. Fenton's laser lipstick. Sam wasn't too far behind.

"Look out!" Tucker yelled. Danny didn't bother to look back. He flew up and Evieor's punch missed. Danny looked down and smirked.

"Hey tall, dark, and ugly. Up here."

Evieor looked up and raised his hand just as Danny dived. He stopped immediately at the sight of the purple glow. Evieor bent his fingers so that they resembled a clawed hand and swung his hand through the air. Danny drew back quickly and ascended again. Instead of attacking, he flew toward Sam and Tucker.

"Danny, catch!" Sam called. He held out his hands as his gothic friend stepped back a few inches. She drew back her hand and then tossed the Fenton Thermos when Danny was above her. He caught it, stopped in midair, and turned around. Evieor was several yards away and he had perfect shot.

"Goodbye and good riddance," Danny muttered as he removed the cap and aimed the Thermos. A blue beam shot out of it and Evieor smirked. He raised his glowing hand and the beam disappeared as soon as it touched it. Danny's jaw dropped and the Thermos nearly slipped out of his hands. Sam and Tucker showed the same reaction. Paulina wore a look of confusion and kept looking back and forth between the four of them.

"What just happened?" she asked cluelessly.

Evieor crouched down and pushed off the ground. He dashed toward the halfa at full speed. Danny created a shield but Evieor's hand melted through it. He put both of his hands together to create an ectoplasmic ghost ray but Danny beat him to it. He created a blast which hit Evieor in the stomach and threw him over him. Evieor spun around to the side and landed on his feet.

Danny fired another blast but the darkly dressed ghost before him disappeared. He turned around and saw a pair of grey eyes staring into his. Two cold and smooth hands grabbed his suit and pulled him off the ground. Danny could feel a burning heat nearing his skin as Evieor's glowing hand ripped through a part of his 'DP' symbol.

"Do something!" Sam said desperately to Tucker. He was looking through his bag for weapons.

"I'm trying," he replied. Sam looked back at Danny. Any second now she would hear him scream. Tucker got to his feet and tossed a silver and green boomerang into the air. It bounced off a tree and fell to the floor.

"Nice aim," Sam said sarcastically.

Suddenly, the boomerang began beeping and rose off the ground. It targeted Danny and hit him in the head. Evieor was caught off guard at the sudden interference and released him.

"Ow! Hey!" Danny snapped.

"Let's go!" Sam called. He got to his feet and flew over to them (managing to catch the boomerang before it hit him again).

"Go where?" Evieor asked. "Your only way out is over the fence, but you have to get past me to reach it."

Danny passed the boomerang to Tucker and held each of his friends in his arms. Then he grabbed Paulina with his hands and headed for the fence. It was covered in ice. He became intangible and tried to phase through it. However, an electric shock surged through them and they all fell back.

"My hair!" Paulina shrieked. Sam snorted and tried to suppress herself from bursting out with laughter. Paulina's hair was frizzy and resembled a giant pompom.

"He's right. The only way out is if we go over," said Danny. "Okay, everyone hold hands."

As if on cue, Paulina and Sam immediately got to their feet and ran toward Danny. Sam grabbed his hand before she could. She signaled for Tucker to take Danny's other hand and he happily agreed knowing that Paulina would have no choice but to hold his rather than Sam's. Danny crouched down and then pushed off the ground. After a few seconds of struggling with the extra weight and the pain in his injured hands, he finally managed to regain his balance.

"One of you has got to start eating less," he said through clenched teeth as he tried to go higher. In less than a second, the clear noon sky began to darken. Two foggy grey eyes opened in the mass of darkness and Danny froze. His grip on his friends was becoming weaker and they were slipping.

"Danny!" Sam shouted in panic as she clutched his hand tightly. Danny didn't respond. There were over fifteen feet in the air and he was slowly beginning to fall. Evieor moved in closer to the halfa. Every time Danny turned his head, Evieor would follow his direction and force him to look into his eyes. He began to feel weak and powerless. He was holding three of his friends but still somehow felt alone.

"Danny, fly!" Sam yelled again. Paulina shrieked and raised her legs as they neared the ground.

"Evieor, think fast!" Tucker shouted. Evieor turned to Tucker and Danny blinked several times. It took him a while to realize they were falling and focused all his strength on ascending again. However, the weight pulled him back and he only managed to slow down. When they were about a foot off the ground, he let go of Sam, Tucker, and Paulina.

"This isn't working. You guys stay on the ground and hide. I'll fight him," Danny said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Evieor.

"Tucker and I will see if we can capture him in the Fenton Thermos," Sam told him. He nodded and turned around. Evieor was floating above them. He was smiling smugly. Danny rose into the air and blasted an ectoplasmic beam knowing his opponent would dodge it. Sure enough, he was right.

Evieor evaded the assault and appeared behind him in a matter of seconds. Danny flew forward at full speed to maintain the six foot distance the two ghosts had between each other. Evieor didn't do anything. He continued to smile as Danny fired more blasts. With a sway of his hand, the dark figure created a black wall of energy and repelled the beams. He heard rustling below and turned his gaze upon a row of bushes beside the park benches.

A dark skinned boy was reaching into a bag. He pulled out a cylindrical device and aimed it at Evieor. His eyes widened when he realized the ghost had been watching him. Danny noticed that his rival's attention was focused on something else and prepared to create another ghost ray. Evieor raised both of his hands. They began to glow. One was pointed at Danny while the other was aimed at the ground. Danny released the ghost ray but Evieor blocked it and sent his own ray at the ground, though it seemed somewhat feeble.

Danny gasped in shock and created a shield around Sam, Tucker, and Paulina. It reflected Evieor's blast but caused him to be caught off guard with a new one. The dark figure above him flew forward at full speed and struck an invisible chord. A giant black fist appeared in the sky and advanced on Danny with the same speed as its creator.

He was too distracted with saving his friends to notice and got hit directly in the chest.

"Danny!" Tucker shouted. He extended his arms to catch his friend but Danny fell on him instead.

"Get up," Sam said quickly, rushing over and helping them up. "We have to get out of here now."

"Tell me about it. I don't even wanna know what Kujo's done to my room. Okay, huddle up."

Sam, Tucker, and Paulina did as they were told (Paulina and Sam once again trying to outrun the other) and Danny took off. It wasn't long before a green-grey smoke appeared before them. He flew through it, but the higher he went the thicker it got. Danny finally stopped and looked around. They were completely surrounded by smoke.

"Where are we?" Paulina asked, tightening her grip on Tucker's arm.

"In the sky," Sam replied, noting a hint of annoyance.

"Shush, I'm trying to concentrate," Danny said. He looked up and squinted to see if Evieor was above them. Suddenly, a shadow passed over them and Danny descended a few inches. He turned around to fly the opposing direction and screamed. A grey face flew out from the smoke before them and revealed two long fangs as it opened its mouth. On instinct, Danny bent backward and Evieor flew over him. He stopped and turned around. Danny flipped over as well and faced the ghost. He could feel the pain in his hands returning. For a few seconds, the ghosts just stared at each other (Danny was staring at his mouth rather than his eyes. He felt as though his rival was planning on biting him). He saw Evieor shift a little and immediately turned around and flew up as fast as he could. His senses told him that his enemy wasn't too far behind.

"He's catching up. Go faster!" Tucker yelled.

_I can't_, Danny wanted to shout back, but he was trying not to waste anymore strength. Carrying the three of them with wounded hands was bad enough. He flew for a few more seconds until the first sign of light was visible. Another second and they were out in the open again. Unfortunately, someone else was with them.

Danny stopped going up and bent forward. He kicked off the air and flew toward the fence.

"You're not that bad. But I'm afraid you're just no match for me," a deep voice said from behind them. Danny ignored it. Just a few more feet. It seemed like he'd been flying for hours, but it's only been a couple of minutes. A few feet was too far away.

Suddenly, the ice below them started to crack. A neon blue glow escaped from the cracks and the ground began to shake. Danny felt the vibration from below and stopped just as streaks of blue light rose into the air and passed before them. He tilted his head to the side and saw that they were surrounded. Evieor had his hands held out before him. The streaks connected and Danny gasped. The wall of light was closing in on them quickly. He released his friends and held out his hands to the left and right.

"Run before he blocks the exit again!" he called to them. Sam slipped under the neon light and the others followed. They ran through the exit and Evieor did not stop them.

Danny created a shield, but the light was too strong. It was pushing against his defense and he could feel his arms moving closer to his sides. He gritted his teeth and tried to expand his shield but only a faint spark appeared. What happened next was all a blur. He felt excruciating pain as his last form of defense vanished and the neon light connected with his body. His skin began to burn and he screamed as loud as he could. Fortunately, his ghostly wail responded and pushed the blue light back. He carried on this attack until the wall of light around him was at least a yard away.

Danny felt something on his hands and gazed downward (keeping his head up to continue the ghostly wail). His gloves were slowly tearing away. Both of his hands were now visible. After about three more seconds, his black sleeves disappeared as well and were replaced by his t-shirt. His eyes widened in panic. He stopped screaming and flew up with full speed. The surrounding wall of light began to close in again and he flew faster.

Danny felt his shirt flowing loosely and knew that he was now wearing his school shirt, though his pants were still those of his ghost form. His hair was probably black as well. That was usually the side effect of a powerful ghostly wail. He had made a mental note to fix that.

There was a bright flash from below and Danny looked down. He had made it out before the wall's sides connected again. He turned over so that he was now flying horizontally. He didn't bother to look back. There was no doubt Evieor was following closely behind.

Danny made it past the fence and began to dodge around the trees to lose his enemy. After about a minute of changing from left to right and up and down, he flew out of the tangle of leaves and branches. Sam, Tucker, and Paulina were nowhere in sight. For a second, Danny was considering turning back to look for them. However, he lost control of his powers and transformed back into human form just as he was about to land and ended up falling into a bush. He crawled out and pulled a few twigs out of his hair.

_Please_, he thought,_ please don't let him have seen me transform_.

"Sam! Tucker?" Danny called. He received no reply. "Where are you guys?"

He took a few steps forward and looked around.

"Sa—"

Danny froze and watched the familiar blue smoke rise before his eyes. He turned around and saw a dark figure floating a few inches off the floor as it emerged from the shadows of the trees. There was greenish-grey fog around it. It lifted its head and looked directly at Danny.

He felt the heat rise in his face as the familiar sense of fear washed over him. His heart was beating rapidly as he stared back into its cold grey eyes.

_

* * *

Yeah, Danny's in a really tough spot now. Because of the ghostly wail, he slowly began transforming back into his human self. Therefore, he had to fly out of the park quickly before he fully transformed. But the problem is, Evieor's got a very watchful eye. And if he did see the transformation, Danny can no longer hide in his human form. Not only that, but he'll be in big trouble now that he and Evieor are alone and he's too weak from the previous battle to transform again. And that's not all he needs to worry about. Paulina agreed to fill Star in on everything that happened. LoL, don't strangle me. I'll try to make chapter 5 a quick update._


	5. Ember's Back

_Chapt 5 is officially up! (Though I think you already noticed :D) Good news. This isn't a long chapter, but it's not a short one either. Well, maybe just a bit, but at least it won't take you five hours to finish it. Okay, time to find out if Paulina blabbed to Star and if Evieor knows Danny's identity. Ember's also in this one (it's pretty obvious if you read the title) and she's . . . okay, let's not ruin it. _

**JK rulez: **_Plenty more action to come, but that's further on. This chapter leads to something bad happening to Danny. And soon, the plot will thicken as I said many times before. And if you thought _that_ cliffhanger was evil . . . LoL. _

**Liaranne: **_Wow, long review. Okay, where to begin? As for Kujo, I know in the book it's originally spelled Cujo. You'll see Star referring to him as Cujo, rather than Kujo, in chapter 10. Dang, your schedule is worse than mine. I had to write this story in advance because I have TONS of projects due for this term, not mention a few more things I'm gonna get into now. Basically, it's all too overbearing. Good luck with everything you have to do. And don't worry about detailed reviews. You could just say "hi, good/bad chapter" and it really wouldn't matter to me :)_

**Ohka Breynekai: **_Ahhh, my newest reviewer. I read your profile; it's funny. My eyes (or at least one of them) changes to green sometimes (not really a clear green, kinda a green within brown green). Try to make sense out of that. LoL. That's genetics. Okay, the review. . . **"Oh, please, please, please, please, PLEASE update soon!"**_ _And the multiple "please" returns. Wow, it's been a while since my reviewers said that. (sighs) Good memories. LoL, don't worry, I like to update soon (lucky for you people) . . . unless I left a really EVIL cliffhanger. (smiles wickedly). Then my updates might take a while. Muahahaha. Thanks once again for the reviews and for supporting my stories. I REALLY appreciate it :) Enjoy chapter 5 (and the nice little cliffhanger to go with it. That's the one thing you'll hate about me by the time this story is finished, my cliffhangers)_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Don't worry, Danny learns to trust Star a little more as the story continues. And of course, Danny is getting his butt kicked again. LoL, he'll get a chance to kick butt later on. Thanks for the review!

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 5- Ember's Back

Danny swallowed and stepped back slowly. To his relief, Evieor turned his head and continued to glide through the shrubs. He hadn't seen the transformation. Danny didn't hesitate. He turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could.

"SAM! Tucker?" he called.

"Danny?" a familiar voice asked, signaling that he was no longer alone. Relief swept through him and he stopped at such a fast speed that he slipped and fell backwards onto the grass. Footsteps approached him and he turned his head in time to see a pair of white sneakers.

"Valerie," he panted. "What are you doing here?"

Valerie stiffened and her hand jumped to her backpack. "Uh . . . uh, just taking a walk around the park. Why were you running?"

Danny opened his mouth to explain what had happened (with a few tweaks to protect his identity) but realized what her reaction would be and decided to change the subject.

"Oh, Sam, Tuck, and I were racing and they kinda pulled a disappearing act on me. So, how're things going? Did you take care of that 'business' yet?" he asked referring to her reason for not accepting his offer of becoming his girlfriend.

"No, it might take a while."

"So, what exactly are you doing?"

Valerie narrowed her eyes and stared at him, but he didn't look away.

"Stuff — I can't say."

"Danny!" Tucker shouted from the distance. Danny turned his head and saw two figures running toward him. "Dude, are you okaaa— he-hey Valerie," he said nervously at the sight of the 'former' ghost hunter.

He slowed down and Sam ran past him. She dropped to her knees beside Danny and whispered, "What happened?"

"I dunno," he whispered back. "I used the ghostly wail and started to transform back into my human state. He didn't see though."

Valerie raised a brow and turned to Tucker.

"Do they always lie next to each other or is it just because I'm here?" she added with a smirk. Tucker laughed.

"Not usually."

Sam stood up and offered Danny her hand. He, however, didn't take it. He kept his hands clenched into fists and pushed off the ground with his elbows.

"Gotta go. Bye Val," he called as he began to walk away. Tucker caught up with them and the three left.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked when they were by Danny's house. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at the floor. He had been in that position for the past three minutes.

"What?" he asked, finally looking up at her.

"I offered to help you up and you ignored me."

"I didn't ignore you," he replied. "I didn't want Valerie to see this."

He held up one of his hands to reveal a deep cut and dried blood. Sam's eyes widened.

"_What happened?_" she asked almost in a demanding voice.

"He used Vlad's power against me when I tried to blast him. Oh, and he can only take one power from each enemy only if it's given to or directed at him."

"I'll add that to the book," she said. Danny nodded and the three walked silently for about a minute until—

"Have you seen Paulina?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Star sat curled on the sofa with a blue photo album in her hands. She glanced up at the wall and frowned. The old clock was ticking loudly, or so it seemed . . .

"I wonder what they're doing," she muttered to herself. She turned the page and shifted a bit. The album was beginning to bore her. She glanced at the door impatiently. "Agh! How long does it take to walk through the park?"

Just as Star turned her head back to the book, the door swung open and an exhausted girl ran in panting. She shut the door and walked over to the couch.

"Finally! So what happened?"

The girl did not reply. She continued to take deep breaths and poured herself a glass of water. Star waited for it to swallow before asking again.

"What happened? Why are you out of breath?"

Paulina didn't reply. She sighed heavily and then coughed.

"Ghost . . . there was a ghost attack," she panted. Star raised a brow.

"Ghost attack? As in many ghosts or one? Be more specific!"

"I was walking with Phantom and we were talking. And then, all of a sudden, a tall black and gray thing attacked us. He tried fighting it, but it was too strong. I think its name is Evir or something."

"Evir? What did '_Evir_' do?"

"I don't remember. He stole one of Phantom's attacks. Then he said something about being able to steal one power from every ghost who is willing to give it, or something like that."

"Uh huh," Star muttered as she hastily scribbled on a torn piece of paper. "Go on. What attack was it?"

"That blade-like blast thing."

"Energy Blade?"

"Whatever."

"So, this Evir thing, how strong is he?"

"If it wasn't for the techno-geek and the Goth loser, he would've lost. I wonder what they were doing there anyway? Maybe they befriended the ghost boy?" Paulina asked. Star smiled nervously and shrugged.

"What happened next?"

Paulina paused for a second to think.

"I dunno. Evir blocked every exit. When Phantom tried to fly us out over the gate, something happened and we got trapped in some weird blue light. He let us go and told us to go through the gate while Evieor wasn't looking."

"And that's it? You went?"

"Yeah. I dunno what happened to Phantom, though."

Star's eyes widened in fear.

"We should go back," she said immediately as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.

"Are you kidding? We'll be toast!"

"We can't just leave him there," the blonde teen argued. Before Paulina could say anything, she ran out.

Closing the door behind her, Star ran down the steps of her front porch and dashed down the sidewalk. She just made it to the end when a distant voice called her. She turned around and saw Valerie.

"Val, what are you doing here?"

"I just came back from the park. I was looking for Fenton. He was acting kinda strange."

That caught Star's attention.

"Why were you running?" Valerie continued. "Everyone's been running a lot lately," she added in a mutter.

"Nevermind that. Where's Danny?"

"He left with Tucker and Sam a few minutes ago. They were at the park. He was running from something and stopped to talk to me."

"Do you know what he was running from?" Star asked.

"No, I just know he ran out of the park. Why are you suddenly so curious as to what Danny does? Don't you hate him?"

"Uh, um," the blonde girl stammered as she looked for a reasonable excuse. Failing to find one, she shrugged and ran back. Valerie caught up with her in a matter of seconds.

"Where are you going now?" she asked.

"Home," Star replied simply.

"Weren't you just—?"

"I changed my mind."

Valerie gave her a weird look and slowed down.

"See you later then!" she called.

"Uh huh. I'll call you!" her friend shouted from ahead. Valerie raised a brow.

"Oh she is _definitely_ up to something."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ember sat on suspended rock, one leg bent beneath her and the other hanging over the edge, as she focused intently on the instrument before her. After a few seconds of moving her fingers as if playing it, she struck a cord and paused. Then she struck another. She smiled and began playing. Many doors opened above her and ghosts poked their heads through to find the source of the noise.

"Keep it down!" one of the shouted. She ignored him.

"Are you deaf? I said—"

Still focusing on her guitar, she spun around and struck another cord, sending a giant blue fist into the air. It collided with the angry specter and he flew back into his room. Many retreated in fear, but a few others stayed.

"Enough!" an old woman said angrily. "You're disrupting the peace!"

"Oh please, you're in the Ghost Zone. How can you possibly expect there to be any pea— HEY!"

Almost instantly, a black hand rose from beneath the musty sand below them and snatched her guitar. Another pushed the rock and tipped her over. She rolled over the side and grabbed onto the edge.

Growing angry, Ember's eyes flashed a bright green and she held up a glowing pink hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a deep voice warned. Ember's furious expression turned casual and she put her hand back on the slanted rock.

"I should've guessed."

Paying no attention to the frantic shouts above them as ghosts hastily tried to leave the area, Ember lifted her legs so that her feet where against the rock and pushed off. She flipped backward and landed in a squat. A dark figure in the distance stepped up and tossed her the guitar. She stood up and caught it.

"What do you want?" she said impatiently. "I already gave you a power. And I see you don't know how to use it," she added, noticing that her company was without a certain ghost kid.

Evieor narrowed his eyes. Ember's smirk faded.

"He's good as escaping. I almost had him!" he shouted, making the teen ghost before him jump in alarm.

"Chill out! You still know where he is. How hard can it be to find him in one little town?"

"Finding him isn't the problem. It's getting him to stop running that we need to work on."

"We?" Ember asked.

"I," Evieor corrected.

"Well, think back to the fight. Who was there?"

"Him, me . . ."

Evieor paused and his grey eyes widened.

"And his friends," he added in a whisper.

"You mean the techno-geek and his Goth girlfriend-to-be?" Ember asked.

"Yes, they were trying to help him."

"Problem solved," Ember said. "All we need to do now is get rid of his friends."

"We can't. Plasmius told me that Phantom gets mad when we mess with his friends. I don't want to take my chances."

"He'll get mad if he knows we're the cause of it. But if we get his friends to start hating him, he'll be too upset to focus on us," Ember explained.

"I don't know about that. When he and I fought, he would've been able to escape much quicker if it wasn't for them. They slowed him down. Maybe they can be of use to me."

"Trust me," Ember interrupted. "It'd be MUCH better to separate the dweeb trio. And I know just the way to do it."

She held up her guitar and played a tune. Evieor watched carefully as a black mass began to take form in the air. A smile crept upon his shadowed face as two glowing red eyes opened.

"Impressed?" Ember asked.

"Very," Evieor replied as he stared at the form of Danny Phantom.

* * *

_Things are not going well for Danny. Star now knows about "Evir", Evieor and Ember are working together, and Ember's got a plan that's about to ruin Danny's friendship with Sam and Tucker. But the question is will it work? Or will he kick her butt? Find out in chapter 6. Please review if you can. The more reviews I get, the quicker my updates will be._


	6. Friendship Lost

It's here! Chapter 6 is up people! Let's refresh your memory from the last chapter.

_Evieor meets up with Ember in the Ghost Zone. She tells him that in order to take down Danny Phantom, he has to get rid of his friends. And Ember, being the annoying thing that she is, summons the DP replica. Not good . . ._

All right, first off, I'd like to thank my wonderful reviewers. Thank you for sharing your comments (pros _and_ cons). You guys are great! Also, thank you for whoever has me on their favorites list or whoever reads this story. It is much appreciated. Thank you! On to the reviews.

**Ohka Breynekai:**_ LoL, don't you hate cliffhangers? Unfortunately for you, there are still many to come. MANY MANY more to come. And do not worry, I am BEYOND weird as well, so we crazy people must stick together. LoL, well, it was nice to read a little bio of one of my reviewers. Very interesting._

**JK rulez: **_Sadly, Ember has to meddle. I don't really know why I make her one of the enemies that appears most often. Anyway, the question still remains unanswered. Will they overcome her devious plot? Or will the trio drift apart? Read and find out._

**Inumaru12:** _I used to get sugar high without sugar too, but now I'm kinda boring for some reason. I'm SO glad you love this story. Really, it brings me joy just reading your reviews. . . . . LoL, btw, I think I'm more of a Baka-_**chan**_ rather than a Wolf-Chan. But either one will do. :D Sayonara, 'Maru-Chan. _

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ You don't like the clone Ember has. I don't like Ember at all :D Yes, things are going to get VERY ugly. But there isn't a thing Danny can't save right? Hint hint . . . _

**JDPhoenix:**_ LoL, yes, the replica has returned to cause mischief yet again until Ember's control. Poor Danny, his life is becoming very difficult now.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 6- Friendship Lost

The halls of Casper High were silent and nearly deserted. Students were in their classrooms before the late bell had rung. Two, however, stayed behind and waited by the lockers.

"He's late again," Tucker said in an unsurprised tone.

"Yeah, but we can't really blame him. It's not his fault Amity Park is ghost central," Sam pointed out.

Suddenly, a flash of blue light interrupted their conversation, but the two of them didn't even blink. They were used to it by now.

"Hey, sorry guys. Ghost trouble," Danny said as he dashed down the hall.

"What else is new? You have about one minute before the bell rings," Tucker told him. Danny retrieved his books from his locker and the three of them proceeded to class.

Blue sparks appeared on the wall as a figure phased through it and watched the three walk away.

"Danny, wake up!" Tucker whispered. Danny had his head on the desk and was snoring slightly. Sam rolled her eyes and ripped a piece of paper from her notebook. After rolling it into a ball, she tossed it to Tucker who threw it at the sleeping boy. He lifted his head and looked around.

"Is everyone clear on the homework?" the teacher asked. Danny looked puzzled.

"We have homework?"

The bell rang, signaling the end of third period. On instinct, Danny and Tucker jumped up and ran to the door.

"I'll see you at lunch!" Sam called after them, but they were already out of the room and on their way to Global.

Tucker and Danny ran through the halls as quickly as they could.

"Almost there," Tucker panted.

"And not a ghost in sight. I think we might actually make it," Danny stated in relief.

"I think you're wrong," a voice said from behind. Danny stopped and gritted his teeth in aggravation. He didn't have to turn around to find out who the voice belonged to.

"Ember," he muttered.

"Dude—" Tucker began, but Danny cut him off.

"Just go to class. Tell her I had to go to the nurse or something. I'll catch up with you at lunch."

Tucker didn't move.

"What if you need help?"

"Then I'll call for you," Danny said impatiently. Noticing his friend's growing temper, he finally decided to do as he was told and ran off.

Danny turned around to prepare for the fight, but Ember was already ahead of him. The first thing he saw was a fist before he flew back. Landing roughly on the tiled floor, he tried to push himself up with his elbows, but Ember began playing her guitar. Four small neon fireballs rose around her. Danny got up and prepared to transform.

"Wow, you really are terrible," she mocked. At a wave of her hand, the fireballs spread out and flew at Danny.

He noticed them and flipped backwards. Halfway through the flip, a blue light engulfed him and two rings appeared, transforming him into Danny Phantom. He managed to dodge two of them before he landed and then created a shield before him. The remaining two flew into the shield and the flames scattered around him. Before Ember could attack again, Danny phased through his shield and jumped at her. When the two of them where at the same height level, he moved his arms to the side, created a small ball of energy, and released it at her. Ember played another note on her guitar and a giant fist appeared. It coincided with Danny's blast and the collision released small beams of scattered energy around the hall. Both ghosts shielded themselves and turned intangible to avoid the beams.

"Do you ever stop?" Danny snapped.

"Stop what? Tormenting you? Nah, too much fun," Ember replied with a laugh. Danny narrowed his eyes and shot an ectoplasmic blast at her. She dodged it and sent one back. He flew out of the way and released two powerful beams from his eyes. They caught her off guard and pushed her into the next row of lockers.

To Danny's surprise, Ember merely smiled. It was as if she was enjoying his frustration. He sent another ghost ray and she dodged it.

"Come on, I thought you were better than that Phantom. I think you're losing your touch."

Danny screamed out in anger and began throwing blasts at her. She laughed and became intangible. After several seconds of aimless shooting, he stopped and looked around. Ember was nowhere in sight. He descended and landed when he was sure she wasn't near him.

"Where are you?" Danny shouted.

"Over here," Ember replied. Danny turned around and got ready to attack, but she wasn't behind him.

"I said '_over_'."

Before he could look up, a giant fist pushed him into the ground. Ember smirked and prepared to fly down. Her smirk faded when she saw Danny's hands above his head. He had created a shield just in time and was pushing back the fist.

"Hey!" Ember snapped. He lowered his right hand and created a small green beam. Then, managing to catch her off guard, Danny pushed his hand up again and released the beam through the shield. It broke through the fist and hit Ember. She flew into the ceiling with full force and then fell again. Before she reached the ground, Danny created an energy blade. It hit her in the back and sent her toward the window at the end of the hall.

Ember screamed in panic and became intangible, managing to phase through the window and get out of the way as the blast shattered the glass and most of the wall around it. With one last smirk, she flew off and left Danny in the hall.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Mission accomplished," Ember said as she flew into an empty classroom.

"And what exactly did you do?" a voice asked her.

"I completed Part A of the plan — getting him angry. Now it's all up to the double."

She received no reply.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," she assured. There was a snort from the other end of the room and she glared.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Danny ran into the room panting and stopped before the teacher's desk.

"Sorry, ma'am. I was at the nurse's office."

He heard Tucker whimper from across the room and sighed.

"Where's your pass?" Mrs. Dale asked. Danny mentally smacked himself for forgetting to write himself a pass from the nurse. He should've known she'd ask for one.

"I-I forgot to ask for it."

"Then I have no proof that you were where you say you were. Detention, Fenton. Next time, bring me evidence."

"He _was_ at the nurse," Tucker said. "I was with him when he left."

"One's word isn't enough. No pass, no proof."

Danny moaned and sat down by Tucker.

"She acts like she's with the APPD. So what happened with Ember?"

"She ticked me off and then ran away."

"Did she happen to mention why she was here?" Tucker asked, pulling out his PDA. Danny shook his head and frowned.

"Right now, I don't care why. I'm just glad she left."

"Fenton, Foley! Pay attention!" Mrs. Dale snapped. The boys turned around and pretended to listen. As soon as she had her back to them, Tucker began playing with his PDA.

"We have about one minute left," Tucker said thirty-five minutes later.

"Good. I need a break," Danny replied, beginning to pack his books.

When the bell rang, both boys ran out and met Sam by the lockers. After throwing their books in, they walked downstairs to the cafeteria.

"What's up with you?" Sam asked, noticing Danny's annoyed look.

"Do you have to ask? Ghosts, of course," he replied bitterly. "Sorry," he added when he saw Sam's look. "I didn't mean to snap. I'm just so tired of it already."

"What happened? You ran into a ghost during fourth period?"

"Not during. Before," Tucker corrected. "It was Ember."

"Ember?" Sam repeated. "What did she want?"

"I don't know and I don't care," Danny said, sitting down at their usual table. "She got me angry, we fought, and she flew off."

"Why didn't you use the thermos?" Sam asked as she took out her salad and set it on the table. Danny paused and shrugged.

"Forgot, I guess. And to add to that, I got detention from Dale."

"For forgetting the pass," Tucker added. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Teachers," she muttered.

"My parents are gonna ground me for sure," Danny mumbled. "I can't believe this. I seriously need to learn how to duplicate myself."

"Oh yeah, how's that coming along?" Tucker asked.

"Horrible. Yesterday, I accidentally grew an extra head and Kujo decided to use it as a chew toy."

"Kujo's still in your room?" Sam asked. "You realize if Valerie finds him, you're—"

"Relax Sam, I don't think Val would have any reason to be in my room."

"Lovesick teens can get a bit crazy at times," the Goth said with a smile. "Anyway, what are you going to do with him? Leave him in the Ghost Zone?"

"Yeah, definitely," Danny replied sarcastically. "Let's go back to the Ghost Zone so I can get my butt kicked again."

"Hey, it was your idea to go there in the first place."

"Whatever," he replied sulkily. "Hang on, I'm gonna get lunch."

He stood up and walked over to the line of students waiting with their trays. Fortunately for him, it was a very short line. He looked ahead and saw the lunch lady pouring something thick and green into Star's plate. She made a face and walked away, poking it a bit to see if it was made of gelatin.

Danny looked back at his friends. A feeling of guilt washed over him. They were trying to help and he was constantly losing his temper. He sighed and turned around. Just as he was about to go apologize, something wrapped around his ankle and pulled him down. He phased through the floor and fell into an empty room. Or more like a closet in the basement . . .

Danny's ghost sense went off and he turned around.

"Ember?"

Sure enough, a teenage ghost with flaming blue hair stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm not done with you yet," she said.

"Neither am I," Danny challenged as he transformed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The doors to the cafeteria opened and a teenage boy walked in. He looked around. Finally finding what he was searching for, he entered the room and walked over to small table near the windows.

"Danny, why are you back so soon?" Tucker asked as his friend sat down with them.

Danny paused and thought of a possible excuse.

"I saw what they were serving and decided I wanted to live."

Tucker laughed and nudged him with his elbow.

"You're hilarious, dude."

Sam rolled her eyes and returned to her salad. Danny's eyes, however, flashed red and he turned to Tucker.

"What was that for?" he asked. Tucker stared at him quizzically.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you hit me?"

Tucker glanced at Sam and she shrugged and looked at Danny.

"Are you okay?"

He turned to her and leaned forward.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Behind him, Tucker was spinning his finger by his head and pointing at Danny. Sam gave him a warning look and he returned to his sandwich.

"Look, Danny," Sam began, turning her gaze away from Tucker and back at him, "I know you're going through a lot with this whole 'hero' thing. It was bad enough with Plasmius last month, and now there's someone new. It's stressful and we understand. But Tucker and I want to let you know that we'll stand by you no matter what. So—"

"You don't understand," Danny snapped. Sam raised a brow at his remark. "You're not failing because of lack of time to study and sleep. You're not getting your butts kicked all the time by the people you have to fight _and _the people you're trying to save. You're not getting in trouble every time you try to help!"

He began to raise his voice and Tucker moved away slightly. Sam didn't say anything, but her anger was slowly rising.

"Danny—" she began patiently.

"And I'm tired of you always trying to show me sympathy. Stop saying you understand. You'll never know how it feels to carry this weight all the time."

Danny got up and walked away, leaving his friends in shock.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny fell back and landed in a pile of empty boxes. Ember looked at the clock on the wall and smiled.

"Time to check up on the clone," she muttered. "Adios to you," she added to Danny as two rings formed around his midsection and transformed him back to Danny Fenton. Before he could get up, Ember phased through the ceiling.

"What the heck was that all about?" he wondered aloud. The bell signaling the end of fifth period rang and Danny pushed himself out of the boxes and headed toward the door. Once out of the dark room, he ran upstairs to catch up with his friends.

He retrieved his books from the lockers and waited for Sam and Tucker. When they arrived, he opened his mouth to greet them, but the two just walked right past him. Danny paused for a second and then followed them to their lockers.

"Uh, Sam, Tuck, hi."

Once again, they ignored him.

"What's wrong with you guys? I — Oh, I get it. You're mad at me for losing my temper about the whole 'Ember' incident before fourth period."

"MAD?" Sam practically yelled, opening her locker with such force, it nearly hit him. He jumped back in surprise. "Try furious! We try to help you and you start yelling at us about how we shouldn't be showing sympathy, and that we understand nothing, and some other nonsense."

Danny was taken aback by her reaction.

"I wasn't yelling," Danny said defensively. "And I never said that." He looked at Tucker as if hoping for an explanation to Sam's sudden outburst. However, he wore the same expression she did.

"I'm sorry for letting you know how I felt," Danny said, not sounding apologetic at all. "I thought as friends, you wouldn't mind. I can't believe you're getting so upset over a little conversation. I thought of all people, you two would understand."

"We don't understand anything according to you," Tucker said. Danny turned to him, and then back to Sam.

"Sorry for wasting your time, then," he said angrily before joining the other students of Casper High as they made their way to class.

Sam and Tucker remained silent. They looked at each other and sighed.

"He deserved it," Sam said, though she didn't sound too sure. Tucker nodded in agreement. They gathered their belongings and left.

When the students cleared out of the halls, Ember became visible and leaned against the wall.

"I didn't think it was possible for a plan to go that smoothly," she said with a smirk. "There you go, Evieor. We did our part."

She crossed her arms and smiled at the raven-haired teenager beside her. His eyes glowed red and he disappeared.

* * *

_Oooh, not nice. Am I evil or what? I torture Danny and you. Well, let's see how things are with the trio. Will they discover the truth, or will Danny be left to fight his battles alone? Only one way to find out . . .wait for chapter 7. Heh heh, you people hate me. _

_BTW, if anyone has any confusion about what happened, let me know and I'll explain it to you. And thanks for the reviews guys!_


	7. Standing Alone

_Sorry for the long update guys! I just got Kingdom Hearts II (on Saturday for my birthday) and I've been playing a lot. Well, I see some other reviewers from Amity's Hero have starting reading this story. Glad to hear from you guys! And thanks again to all my reviewers._

**JK rulez: **_Thanks. I love it when people compliment my action scenes. Those are the most interesting parts for me to write — and the easiest too. LoL, usually, people use the word "evil" to describe my cliffhangers. It's not often you see "awesome!" Now, of course, the trouble has begun. And, hinting from the title, the trio has split up. But for how long? The chapter(s) will tell. Thanks for the review!_

**Cakreut12:**_ Sadly, Sam and Tucker did give in to Ember's devious plot. But for how long? BTW, how's the 140 emails coming along? LoL, there goes your weekend . . ._

**Ohka Breynekai: **_Better late than never. Well, I've said this before (In JK rulez's reply) and I'll say it again . . . I absolutely love when people compliment my battle scenes. I'm so happy that you enjoy reading my action . . . scenes. LoL. And thanks for informing me that everything is clear. Oh yes, one more thing . . . sorry about the slow update :D_

**Katiesparks:**_ Poor poor halfa. How long will this feud last? The madness! Find out!_

**Phantomshadowdragon: **_You're hyper 24/7 . . . I can tell. LoL. Poor little kids. Enduring your torture. What'd you do? Tickle them to tears:P Nah, I'm just playing. Anywho, oh wait . . . there's not much else to this review is there? LoL, next chapt!_

**JDPhoenix:**_ Things are going to get MUCH worse for Danny. But you're going to have to read to find out what happens. Hehe, I'm so mean._

_

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 7- Standing Alone

Danny lay on his bed that night staring at the ceiling. He had been throwing a handball up and catching it for the past five minutes. He felt terrible about the way he spoke to Sam and Tucker that afternoon, but why did they start yelling at him?

He caught the ball and turned his head to the right, waiting for the phone to ring. He had been waiting for hours, hoping someone would call and explain what had happened.

There was a small bark at the other end of the room and Danny closed his eyes. He sat up and shifted to the left.

"Heads up, boy!" he warned. Kujo jumped up in excitement as Danny tossed him the ball. He caught it in the air and landed on the edge of Danny's bed, barely able to keep himself from falling. Danny pulled him up and scratched behind his ear.

"I guess I'm alone in this," he muttered. "Sam and Tucker don't want anything to do with me anymore and I don't even know why."

The translucent green puppy continued to chew at the ball between his front paws. He didn't know what was going on and, by the looks of it, didn't really care. Danny sighed and patted him lightly.

"Can I count on you to help me?" he asked. The puppy shook his head violently as he tried to play with the ball and Danny snorted.

"Gee, thanks."

The phone rang and his heart skipped a beat. He gasped in surprise and jumped across the bed (knocking over Kujo as he went) and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" he nearly shouted out of excitement.

"Danny? It's Star."

"Oh," Danny said disappointedly. "Hey."

"Hey. What happened today at school? With you, Sam, and Tucker?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," he said quickly. "Just forget about that."

"Okay," she said unsurely. "Listen, I know you think I'm annoying, and I know you don't think I can help, but I can. I won't get in the way of your battles, but would it hurt you to tell me what's going on every now and then?"

Danny hesitated. He looked at Kujo and shrugged. The puppy titled its head and wagged its tail.

"Is that a yes?" he whispered.

"What?" Star asked. Danny turned away from the pup.

"What do you know?" he asked.

"I know about Evir, or whatever his name is."

"Evieor. E-V- uh, something. I don't know how to spell it, but it's got an O."

"Okay, Evie_or_. I know about Evieor."

"I wonder how," Danny said sarcastically. He paused and then sighed. "Fine, I'll keep you updated. About Sam and Tucker — I'm still kind of confused about that. On my way to Global, I ran into Ember. Yes, Ember is a ghost—"

"I know," she cut him off, remembering the fact that Ember was the ghost Danny was fighting when she figured out his secret. "Uh, Go on."

"Yeah, so I got ticked off and told Sam and Tucker about it. When I was going to get lunch, I ran into her again. When we finished our fight, I went to meet Sam and Tucker for sixth period and they started yelling at me about things they 'claim' I said, but I never really said. So now we're not speaking to each other. It hasn't even been a day and I already miss them."

"Typical teenage drama. What did they say?"

"I don't remember," he said, thinking about their last words to him before he left. "Something about how I complained to them that they don't understand anything."

"And you don't remember saying any of that?" Star questioned.

"No. None of what they said made any sense, but they made it clear that they don't want me around."

"So, what? You're gonna go solo now? With the whole ghost thing? More have been showing up lately, incase you haven't noticed," Star informed.

"Yeah, I know. Ever since Evieor escaped, others have been as well. I don't know how I'm gonna get through this—"

"I can help," Star cut him off again. Danny frowned.

"Or you can get in my way like Jazz did."

"Who?"

"Nothing. Nevermind. Look, just keep to yourself for now and avoid contact with me in public. Well, with Danny Phantom anyway. When I need you, I'll call," he told her.

"Why should I avoid contact with you?"

_And the questions keep coming,_ Danny thought.

"Evieor doesn't know I'm Danny Phantom. And apparently, the other ghosts don't know that he doesn't know. Otherwise, they would've told him. If he sees you with me . . . or Phantom, he might use you to get to me. And the last thing I need is for you to be kidnapped by one of the strongest ghosts in the Ghost Zone."

"Gotcha," Star said, finally getting off the topic. She and Danny spoke for a few more minutes as he tried to teach her how to activate the Fenton Thermos and other weapons his parents had taught him how to use. When Star finished memorizing them, she and Danny ended their conversation and he went back to watching Kujo.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day at school was probably the worst Danny had ever had. Sam and Tucker completely ignored him, even when he would look at them. They'd just turn around and walk away. Though for some reason, he couldn't help but feel that they were more upset than he was about the fight.

Not even Sam seemed to be paying attention during English. Usually, she'd be jotting down notes as Mr. Lancer spoke, but today she and Tucker just had their heads on the desk and kept glancing at the clock as if waiting for something exciting to happen. Danny wanted to say something, but his reason told him not to. He knew them for years. When they get mad, it's best to leave them alone for a few days. But this was the first time they were ever this mad at _him_.

The same thing happened at lunch. He waited for them as usual by the lockers, but they never showed up. His heart felt heavy and yet somewhat vacant. So many years of laughter and joy had filled his mind as he waited — and they certainly didn't help him fight off the empty feeling that had blackened his soul. After five minutes of standing for no reason, he gave up hope and went to the cafeteria.

Sure enough, Sam and Tucker weren't there. He sighed and leaned against the wall, waiting by the entrance. A few people walked in, but not the people he wanted to see. The doors swung open for the fifth time and, on reflex, Danny turned his head immediately to see . . .

Star. She noticed him and opened her mouth to speak. However, after deciding not to make matters worse, she gave him a sympathetic look and left to meet her friends. He slid down until he was in a kneeling position and continued to wait.

After a few more minutes, the doors opened again and, to his surprise, a familiar Goth and techno-geek walked in. He got to his feet immediately, but they didn't notice him. Either that or they just ignored him. Danny frowned and watched them take their usual seats at the opposite end of the room. Tucker, for the first time that day, glanced at the entrance and saw him.

This time, however, Danny ignored _him_ and walked out. He roamed the halls for the rest of that period. The skies were dark and cloudy. Rain poured steadily outside. He leaned against one of the windows at the end of the hall and looked around. There were a few cars parked near the sidewalk and the grass was damp and muddy. It all seemed so gloomy. It was as if the weather was reflecting his mood.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. Valerie stopped walking and watched him. For a while, neither of them said anything. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Danny turned back to the window and leaned forward again.

"W-What happened? You know, with you, Sam, and Tucker?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," he said darkly. He didn't mean it to come out like that. He wanted to turn around and apologize, but for some reason didn't. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Only Sam and Tuck.

A few seconds later, Valerie's footsteps were headed in the opposite direction. Danny took his gaze away from the window, but didn't turn his head. He watched her disappear into a room.

The bell rang and he stood up straight. Students began to leave class. Without hesitation, Danny ran down the hall, trying to get out of the way before it was too crowded to pass through. Instead of taking a left and going up the stairs as usual with his sixth period class, he phased through a few people at the end of the hall and continued running toward the exit. There were a few shrieks as a cold chill went through them and people turned to them just in time to see Danny run out of the school.

He continued running, not bothering to think of the consequences of his actions. The mud beneath him splashed onto his pants as he ran, but he didn't care. He was alone now. No Sam, no Tucker, just him.

Danny stopped running when he was a block away from Tucker's house. The rain was pouring heavily now. He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked back. The school was now completely out of his view.

The wind was beginning to blow fiercely. Whip-like gusts hit his uncovered arms and he shivered slightly. He looked down to try to keep his face warm and began walking. For a second, he was able to see his breath. Taking this as a signal, Danny looked up immediately. After making sure there were no ghosts around, he continued walking, though every now and then, he would run a little.

The fact that his breath was visible every other second or so worried him greatly. The last thing he wanted was to have to fight without a thermos or backup.

"Well, look who decided to take a stroll in the storm," a feminine voice said from behind. Danny's heart skipped a beat and he whirled around. Spectra was sitting on a fence, eyes staring into his. She was wearing her usual red suit. Danny noticed a few shadows forming behind her. They rose out of the ground and formed a circle around her as she hopped off the fence and began walking toward him.

"Spectra? Where did you come from? And where's your 'perfect body'?"

Spectra didn't reply. She continued walking, and he took a few steps back.

"You know what the best part of being a ghost is?" She didn't even wait for Danny's reply. "You have no silly human emotions to worry about. No friends to desert you, no stress to deal with. You can go outside in the snow wearing a bathing suit and it won't affect you. No stupid human problems."

Danny's back hit a wall and he looked up. A neon sign with the words _Fenton Works_ was hanging directly above him. Without warning, he felt something cold collide with his chest and push him back into the wall. One of the shadow ghosts stood before him. It got ready to leap again, but Danny jumped out of the way.

He heard Spectra laughing in the distance. The other shadows broke the circle and moved forward in strange gliding/crawling movements. In unison, they all squinted and opened their mouths (with strange hissing noises) to reveal several black fangs. They crouched and then jumped up, one after the other.

Danny jumped as well and two bright rings formed around him. He spun around once, creating a blast that spiraled around with him and pushed back each of his enemies. Once fully transformed, he raised his hands and created a small blue beam. As he pulled his hands down, the beam formed into a blast that took the shape of a giant curved blade and cut into the ground. Several of the shadows managed to sink deep into the floor and avoid the attack while a few others got hit.

Spectra called back the remaining shadows and they created a wall around her. The blast hit them instead and they disappeared in an instant.

"Only two left," Danny muttered, referring to the two behind her. Spectra smiled and glanced at him, no doubt signaling for them attack. And sure enough, the ghosts took flight immediately. He created a shield and pushed them both back. One regained balance and flew back at him. He prepared to attack when something caught him off guard from behind. He turned around and saw Spectra. She was wearing her black and green suit now.

"Why do you insist on making this more difficult than it has to be?" she asked. Danny flew up so that he was now face-to-face with her.

"Better question — Why are Sam and Tucker angry at me?"

"Like I would know," Spectra replied. She raised her hand but Danny flew down and around her.

"I think you do," he said angrily as he appeared behind the red haired ghost. She kicked back but he caught her leg and flipped her. She fell a few feet but managed to fly back up gracefully before hitting the ground.

"Attack!" she ordered. At once, the two shadow-like ghosts flew into the air toward the halfa. He flew around them with ease, but only one followed. He looked around for the other one and saw it flying at him.

It opened its mouth and prepared to bite. Danny's eyes widened in shock as he recalled his battle with Evieor at the park. He had tried to bite him as well. But why? Maybe he took this creature's power?

His thoughts were interrupted when two sharp teeth pierced his skin. He screamed in agony and pulled his hand away. His arm was bleeding slightly and he saw two holes where the creature's teeth had been. Suddenly, his right arm fell limply to his side and he began to panic. He couldn't move it at all. He raised his left hand and created a blast. However, it wasn't as strong as he wanted it to be when he released it. Rather than five small beams emerging from his fingertips and connecting to create one blast, they all appeared as separate thin wisps of green energy that faded away just before they reached their target.

Danny began to feel numb. He was losing control of his body.

"What did you do to me?" he asked. The creature returned to Spectra. The other one, however, flew into him with full force and knocked him into the ground. He tried to push it back, but it easily overpowered him.

"Cool, huh? What these things can do? Evieor introduced me to them. They lie deep within the Ghost Zone. I don't know what they are, but they sure do come in handy," Spectra said. Her voice became louder with each passing second. That only meant one thing. She was coming closer . . .

Danny tried to get up, but only his fingers would move, and barely. He tried to create a blast with his eyes, but nothing happened. She stopped right before him and leaned down so that they were looking at each other.

"Who's going to save you now?" she asked.

_Yeah, who?_ Danny thought desperately. Spectra grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up. As soon as he was on his feet, she whistled with her free hand and a green panther appeared at her side.

"You know what to do," she said before releasing the halfa. He fell again, but the panther spun around and hit him with its tail. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as its whip-like assault thrust him back.

Danny tried to break his fall, but his attempt was useless. He was paralyzed. Bertrand prowled around him with his teeth bared. Danny's heart was beating faster than he thought possible. The green panther crouched down and prepared to attack.

"Enough!"

A ball of black energy surrounded Bertrand in midair and prevented him from moving. His four legs connected as if an invisible rope had tied them together. He was levitated somewhere, but Danny couldn't see. He was relieved that the attack had been stopped, but the voice that he heard definitely wasn't comforting.

"Evieor," Spectra said quietly. She didn't even bother trying to hide the intimidation in her voice. Danny tried to curl his hand into a fist, but it remained motionless beside him.

"I'll take it from here," Evieor said to her. "But you're free to watch," he added as he approached the halfa lying on the ground before him.

_Sam, Tucker!_ Danny wanted to scream, but he couldn't even do that.

Panic swept through him as one of Evieor's icy hands closed around his neck and pulled him up. In a matter of seconds, he and Danny were face to face. Danny closed his eyes and, to his surprise, Evieor didn't do anything to stop him.

"Let's see if there really is a difference . . ." he wondered aloud. Danny opened his eyes and saw a smile set upon his enemy's face. Could have been talking about Sam and Tucker? How would he have known about that? Unless . . .

"You?" Danny muttered angrily. "It was you?"

Evieor's mouth opened to reveal several sharp teeth and he chuckled slightly.

"Not quite."

In one swift movement, he released Danny, pulled back his arm, and brought it forward with a black beam. It hit him in the chest and, for the second time that day, Danny felt as if he had been stabbed repeatedly. He couldn't even clutch his wound. He felt like a useless toy, lying on the floor and amusing others.

"That's exactly what you are," Evieor said in reply to his thoughts. Danny's eyes widened. He just read his mind. "Yes, I can do that when a person is too weak or, in your case, unable to shield their thoughts due to lack of proper energy," he said, surprising the halfa once more.

Danny closed his fingers into a fist as he normally would when an enemy got too close. A sudden relief swept through him when he realized he had moved. Slowly, he rested his weight on his elbow and tried to push himself up. To his surprise, it worked and he was up on his feet in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, Evioer did not look worried. He merely smiled, revealing similar fangs as the creature that had bitten him.

"What do you want from me?" Danny demanded angrily. What did I do to you?"

The dark figure before him did not respond. Instead, he rose into the air and spread out his hands. Danny took that as a sign and flew out of the way. Evieor followed and soon, they were circling around each other.

Spectra ran out of the way and the two remaining creatures followed. The rain poured around them, making Danny's hair fall before his eyes. He shook his head to clear his view, but Evieor moved toward him rapidly and sent another black beam. Danny flipped backward and avoided the attack, but just as he finished his flip, another form of black energy hit him with full force and sent him flying through one of the buildings.

He turned it and himself intangible and the blast phased through it. However, using that much power against Evieor's (or anyone's for that matter) energy blade weakened him tremendously. There were shrieks from behind and Danny realized he had to fly back outside or Evieor would follow him and hurt citizens as well.

"Just tell me what you want!" he shouted. Once again, his enemy ignored him and continued the battle. Danny flew down at full speed, but Evieor caught up in no time. He flew past him and, before Danny had a chance to stop, punched him. The halfa flew back but tilted his body so that he could do a handstand on the floor before landing on all fours. He slid back a little and pushed off the ground. Once back in the air, he raised his hands and brought them back down. Evieor copied his move and both ghosts released their own energy blades. The edges of both blades collided and intertwined, forming a mixture of black and blue. Danny descended so that he was able to push off the ground as he tried to push the blast toward Evieor, who did the same. The stream of energy began to flash and several people starting poking their heads through the windows. Others began running off the sidewalk and tried to run for shelter.

_Help!_ Danny thought. He gritted his teeth as his entire body began to shake. His hands where moving closer to him. Evieor was winning, though the look in his eyes made it clear that he was putting in more effort than usual. Danny opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. After making sure the area was clear of passerby, he gave one last push and ran out of the way. Evieor stumbled forward and the combined energy blades were released . . . right into Spectra.

She screamed and fell back. Danny couldn't help but smile at that. Suddenly, something hit him in the back and he stumbled forward as well. He landed on his palms and kicked at an angle. Evieor jumped and avoided being tripped. Danny could tell he was angry.

The dark ghost raised his hand and it flashed purple. Danny screamed in fright and phased through the floor just before his hand touched it. A large hole appeared in the ground and the cement crumbled beneath him instantly. Evieor swung his hand around, but Danny ducked.

This continued repeatedly. Finally, just as Danny dodged another attempt to burn him, Evieor flipped and kicked him. Landing easily on his feet, the ghost curled both hands into fists and, as if punching the air, brought them both forward simultaneously. The already weakened ghost kid was caught completely off guard with the double flare.

He landed on his back with his eyes half closed. A blue ring formed at his waist, but he gritted his teeth in concentration and it disappeared instantly. This caught Evieor's attention. His narrowed grey eyes widened in surprise.

He didn't notice Danny's eyes suddenly turn fully green. Unfortunately, Spectra did. She jumped in front of Evieor and, remaining in the air, held out her hands and separated them. A red shield appeared and Danny's blast was reflected. He gasped and turned over to his side. His rebounded blast barely missed him.

Evieor pushed her aside with one hand and reached for Danny with the other. He tried to phase through the floor, but his powers flickered away at that moment and Evieor grabbed his suit.

"Nowhere to run, Phantom."

Once again, a blue ring appeared, but Danny forced himself to remain in his ghost form. The last thing he needed now was for Evieor to figure out who he was. There was another purple flash and Danny tried to break free before his enemy's hand made contact with him.

"Let go of him!" Jazz demanded. Danny, Evieor, and Spectra turned around. She was standing a few yards away with a midsized ecto-gun resting on her right shoulder.

"Get out of here!" Danny said as she aimed it at his enemies. However, Jazz ignored him and fired.

"I'll deal with her," Spectra said as she reflected Jazz's attack. Evieor nodded and, finding his distraction a perfect time to break free, Danny kicked him in the chest. The ghost staggered back a little, but kept Danny in his grip. He, however, didn't give up. He continued distracting him as his powers slowly returned.

There was a shriek from behind and Danny looked back immediately. His heart skipped a beat. Was it Jazz?

To his surprise, Spectra was sent flying into a streetlamp. Jazz put the weapon over her shoulder casually again and rested a hand on her hip. The red haired ghost stood up angrily and flew back into the battle. She shot several beams at Jazz, but she just jumped over and flipped around them.

Danny was impressed. His sister was normally the clumsy type. When did she get so flexible? Spectra screamed with rage and sent another blast with all her strength, but Jazz did a summersault over it and landed on one knee. She aimed her weapon and fired again. This time, Spectra didn't have a chance to defend herself. She was caught in a net of ectoplasmic energy and couldn't break free.

"You're next," she said to Evieor.

"Jazz, no! Go home!" Danny shouted, but his sister didn't listen. She fired and Evieor held out his glowing hand. It destroyed the net instantly, but Jazz fired again without hesitation. Finally, the ghost was forced to release Danny when the nets entangled around him. The halfa rose into the air and flew out of the area at full speed.

"Keep going!" the red haired teen ordered as she continued to shoot.

"Yeah, right. Since when do I listen to you?" Danny retorted as he flew down and grabbed his sister. The weapon slipped out of her hand and she tried to grab it, but her eyes widened in surprise.

"Look out!"

Evieor raised his hands and clenched them into fists. With a deafening roar, he created a blast that ripped through the nets. He looked around and spotted Danny above him. Danny noticed and sped up. His opponent took flight and caught up to them.

"Go up," Jazz commanded. He did as he was told and Evieor followed. Danny squinted his eyes as he flew over the roofs of several buildings. His house came into view and he lowered his altitude.

"Don't do that! He'll follow us," Jazz hissed.

_Duh_, Danny mentally smacked himself for that one. How could he have been so stupid? He turned around and flew past Evieor who stopped and changed his direction as well.

As if the rain wasn't enough, now the wind was beating against his face. He shivered and shook his head. Where was he going to go?

_Down!_

Without thinking twice, he dived. Jazz screamed as they neared the floor. Danny didn't slow down. He focused on turning them intangible. In a blue flash, they were flying through cement, and then dirt. He changed his course and headed back. There were several blasts from above that must've been sent by Evieor. They went through the intangible teens, but with every hit, Danny felt himself losing control.

He ascended again and reached the surface just before his powers faded away.

"There!" said Jazz when she spotted a red building with many strange devices on the roof. She turned around and her smile faded. Her brother was lying on the floor with his eyes closed. She dropped down to her knees and tried shaking him.

"Danny? Danny, get up! He'll find us."

Danny, now in his human form, didn't move. She began to panic. How would they get to the front door unseen? Thinking quickly, she pulled him onto her shoulders and headed toward the nearest window. Fortunately, the one in the living room was open. After pulling herself and Danny inside, she shut it and headed downstairs to the lab.

"Ghost shield, ghost shield," she muttered. "Ah!"

She spotted the small button near the portal and slammed it with her fist.

"Ghost shield activated," a computer voice said in a monotonous tone. The green shield spread from the roof and covered the house.

"Jasmine?"

Jazz nearly knocked over the beakers aligned on the table beside her as she turned around. Jack was sitting at the opposite end of the lab, working on a yet another invention.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Why'd you activate the ghost shield?"

"Uh, I-I," Jazz stammered as she tried to think of an excuse. Then, stubbornly, she said, "We should always have our home protected. Do you want a repeat of what happened last month? Am I the only one who thinks in this family?" she added, holding her hands out. Jack merely stared with confusion. Jazz lowered her hands and began to walk toward the exit.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me—"

"Not so fast, Princess. I want to know why you're out of school so early."

He got her there. Once again, Jazz returned to her stammering.

"Uh, ghost? There was a ghost! I-In the school. I got freaked and ran. Sorry, Dad."

Jack seemed anything but disappointed. Instead, he held out a small gadget and beamed enthusiastically.

"Oh boy, time to test out my new invention! Wanna see what it does?"

"Not really . . ."

"I'll tell you anyway," he insisted, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and beginning to talk. Jazz groaned.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny opened his eyes. His vision was blurry but he was too familiar with his living room to not have recognized it. But how did he get there? He sat up and then fell back again with a moan. His chest was burning with pain. And then he remembered . . .

A fight with Evieor. Spectra was there and they were winning. But then Jazz came and—

"Jazz!"

Danny looked around for his sister and noticed her standing by the sink in the kitchen. He sighed with relief and leaned against the arm rest of the couch. Jazz saved his butt. Had it not been for her and her newfound skill that undoubtedly came from practicing with the virtual ghost hunting program, he definitely wouldn't have escaped. But how did Evieor's blasts weaken him while he was intangible? Was he strong enough to interfere with other powers?

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Jazz said as she entered the living room with a glass of water. Danny smirked and thanked her.

"Why did you leave school so early?" he asked.

Jazz sat down beside him. "Julie told me that a teenager ran out of school just before 6th period. I asked for more details and it all linked to you. And obviously, me being the older and nosy sister, I had to follow you. By the way, my grade is getting lowered for that so _don't do it again_."

"I never told you to go after me."

"But if I didn't, not even you would know where you'd be by now. So, should I ask why you left?"

"You can ask, that doesn't mean I'll tell you."

"Ha ha," Jazz said sarcastically. She stood up and began to walk back to the kitchen.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Danny asked.

"At school trying to find the ghost."

"Huh?"

Jazz smiled. "Don't ask. I made up a story that there was a ghost in the school because Dad wanted to know why we were home so early. I tried to get him to stay, but you know how they are. I just hope they didn't run into the real ghosts," she said with more concern.

Danny nodded and looked out the window. It was still raining, and he saw teenagers walking outside. Some of them were carrying umbrellas while others where running with their backpacks over their heads. Casper High must've been dismissed a few minutes ago.

"Did anyone call?" he asked Jazz, who was now completely out of view.

"No, why? You're expecting a call?"

"Not really," Danny mumbled. With much difficulty, he forced himself to get up. He clutched his chest and began walking to the stairs.

"You'll be in your room?" she asked, not even bothering to leave the kitchen and check.

"Nothing gets past you," was his usual reply to that statement.

"Hey, boy," Danny greeted as he stepped into the room. Kujo, who was fooling around under the bed, poked his head through the sheets and barked gleefully. Danny sat down and the puppy followed him. He was carrying something in his mouth.

"What've you got there?"

The puppy raised his hand and handed the item to Danny. It was a picture of him, Sam, and Tuck smiling happily with their arms around each other. That picture was taken about a year ago when they first found out they'd be going to the same school. He scratched the pup's ears and put the photograph on his bed.

"Did Jazz find out about you yet, or have you been keeping quiet?"

Suddenly, Kujo began to growl. Danny stood up.

"What is it?"

He lowered his head and began sniffing. Danny waited and then followed the green puppy to the window. Suddenly, lightning flashed and they both jumped back in alarm. Kujo whimpered and ran across the room.

"Relax, it's just lightning. It's not gonna hurt you. Well, it can, but it won't," Danny said reassuringly. He couldn't help but smile at the frightened ghost, currently trying to dig through his blanket. He turned back to the window and practically screamed. There, just beneath them, was a teenage girl with waist length crimson hair. For a second, their eyes met, and then she disappeared. Danny stepped back (and nearly tripped onto his bed).

Why had she been here? Did Evieor send her too? How many more ghosts was he going to summon before he decided to use the entire Ghost Zone as Vlad did? It was only a matter of time.

_Don't think that,_ he said mentally. _No he won't. I was probably seeing things._

That was it. What he just saw was an illusion. Nothing else. But why her? He shook his head and shrugged it off. He went back to the window and saw nothing but the dark and muddy sidewalk.

"I have to worry about things more important," he muttered, stepping away from the glass and focusing his attention on something else.

_Like Sam and Tucker._

He sat down and looked back at the window. Drops of water were sliding down the glass, each at a different speed. Danny stared closer and noticed his reflection against the dark skies.

His mind began to wander as he thought back to the battle. He had nearly lost, but Jazz saved him. Come to think of it, that's usually what always happens. He fights, but he's only a kid with powers he can't even control yet.

As much as Danny hated to admit it, he was pretty hopeless without help, support, or any cause of fighting for that matter. If there was no one around or no one he was determined to save, what then? He would fight, and he would lose control.

And what about that battle he had with Ember last month? Had it not been for Tucker's perfect timing, he definitely would've lost. And Vlad? He would've won if Sam hadn't kicked him . . . in the face.

Danny smiled at that. So many memories . . . He never really realized any of this until now. It was always Sam and Tucker who pulled through for him. And when they weren't able to help, it was still his determination to save _them_ that caused him to win. He was only strong because of them. They were his true power, but now, where were they?

He turned his gaze from the cloudy sky and looked back at the picture of the three of them smiling happily with their arms around each other, realizing he didn't have that anymore — and that was now his greatest weakness.

_I still need you,_ a voice in the back of his mind spoke subconsciously. He placed the picture in his pocket and looked back up at the gloomy sky.

"I still need you," he whispered to his reflection. "But I don't have you . . ."

* * *

_Oooh, intense. Obviously the fight Danny had with Sam and Tucker is driving him crazy. But Ember was right wasn't she? He's nothing without his friends backing him up. Well, not yet anyway. Maybe he'll get used to fighting alone and get more practice. Or maybe not . . ._

_Well, it's easy to see Danny's upset that he's standing alone now. But who was that 'teenager' who appeared by his house? Feel free to guess, but you won't find out until chapter 9:) Two chapters. Maybe I'll give you a sneak peak of Chapter 9 at the end of chapter 8. _


	8. Star's Guard

_Sorry for the long update guys. I've been busy lately. I've got Kingdom Hearts II and it's BEYOND awesome! Yeah, well . . . now it's Spring Break and I'll be able to write a little more. And speaking of writing, this fic is turning out to be a little longer than expected. I'm up to writing chapter 16 and, from my opinion, this is where the cliffhangers will REALLY drive you insane. But the problem is, I have so many ideas already written for the end, but I don't know how I should connect them yet or in which order to do so. So I'm gonna work on tha, but don't worry. But the time I have chapt 16 up on the site, I'll probably be done. _

_Okay, I'll get on with the reviews now and let you read. I've also added a little sneak peek for you as a thanks for being so patient and supporting this story. _

**JK rulez:** _Sorry about the slow update. Thanks for your patience. I'm trying to find time for the fic. But now that Spring Break's here, that's not a problem. I'll try to update chapt 9 quickly, but if I don't, you still have the sneak peek. Oh and, thanks for the review!_

**Katiesparks:**_ Kujo's adorable! He's so cute! Don't worry, you'll see more of him. I'm pretty sure he's in chapter 10. _

**Phantomshadowdragon: **_You make a good point. With all of the ghost hunting equipment in the house, something should've picked up Kujo's ectoplasm. But then again, he stays hidden under the bed in Danny's room. And Danny doesn't keep any ghost tracking devices in his room. Otherwise, he'd be exposed. The devices only sense him when he's near them . . . and then his parents think something's wrong with the machine. See my point :)? Kujo stays under Danny's bed in his ghost-hunting-equipment-free room. Now, it could be Sana. Or it could be Spectra. And just a reminder (since you forgot what Sana looks like), she has _

_1) Dark red (not orange) hair _

_2) Red eyes _

_3) In Amity's Hero, Danny, Sam, and Tuck assumed she was 16 (so basically Jazz's height. . . maybe a little shorter) _

_4) In AH, she had her hair tied up and was wearing a blue dress. That should be enough details. _

**Cakreut12:**_ Usually people are telling me to update sooner. You're telling me to slow down. LoL. It's been a while since we've last chatted. How's it going? Oh yeah, thanks for reviewing by the way. And Sam and Tucker have their reasons for deserting him. But you'll have to read on to find out what happens to them._

**JDPhoenix:**_Who doesn't love Kujo? _:)_ Don't worry, you can't get rid of Sam and Tucker that easily. Not even I have the power to keep them away from Danny, and I'm the writer. Trust me, you'll be seeing more of them soon._

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* * *

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Fading Remembrance

Chapt 8- Star's Guard

Danny waited by his locker when the fifth period bell rang. Students were rushing past. Some were headed to class while others were going to the cafeteria for lunch. He looked around, but there was still no sight of her.

Did she forget? Just then, a blonde girl with a red and white attire pushed her way through the crowd and ran up to him.

"Sorry, traffic on the third floor," she choked as she leaned against the locker to catch her breath.

"That's okay. Listen, I need a favor from you," he said as they made their way to the cafeteria. Star smiled.

"Wow, that's a first. What do you need?"

Danny looked around for an empty table.

"Not near the popular kids," Star said at once. "I told them I'd be at the library printing out a report."

"Fine, what about that one?" he suggested, pointing at a table at the very end of the room. Star agreed and they went to sit down.

"Okay, listen. I need you do something for me, but make sure you're not seen. Remember, Evieor doesn't like Danny Phantom. And if he does happen to find out who I really am, stop hanging out with me. Okay?"

Star nodded. "Yeah, what should I do?"

Danny looked around to make sure no one was watching or listening and then turned back her.

"Yesterday, I ran into Spectra."

"The therapist?"

"No, she's a ghost. It's a long story. She feeds off people's misery."

Star's eyes widened in realization as she recalled their previous Spirit Week. Danny ignored this and continued.

"I fought her yesterday and then Evieor showed up and I would've lost badly if my sister didn't help me. The point is, I can't fight alone. Sam and Tuck are more familiar with the ghost battling, but I doubt they'll be willing to help me. That's why I need you. I already explained how to use the thermos and you know how to use the GRC. All you have to do is capture the ghosts whenever you can and keep a lookout for Evieor. I can't let him find us."

"Sounds simple enough," Star said.

"Good," he replied, apparently not noticing her sarcasm. "When I see a ghost, I'll contact you and you make sure to have a GRC with you."

"Already got that covered," she interrupted as she took out the small weapon from her backpack. Everyone had received one due to the ghost attack last month. "Keep an eye out for Evieor and capture your enemies. Gotcha."

Danny smiled and nodded. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all . . .

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Sam and Tucker noticed that Danny was spending more time with Star. He could tell the curiosity was driving them crazy. Maybe they would figure out that Star knew. It would be easier for them to find out this way than him having to tell them himself. They'd probably get angry again that he hadn't told them before. At least now he could avoid talking to them.

After school, Star went to Danny's house to practice in the lab. The first two sessions ended with him being blasted with ectoplasmic goo. The third session, however, went rather well. Star had actually managed to capture three of the five holographic ghosts his parents had designed.

"You're doing pretty well. Your aiming still needs practice though," he told her. "And I know just the thing to help you."

He flew over to one of the desks and held up a remote. At the push of a button, cardboard figures appeared behind the equipment.

"First, we'll try stationary. Then we'llgo on to moving."

"Huh?" she said cluelessly.

"Just blast them with the GRC. It'll get harder in the next round."

"And just how many rounds are there?" Star asked. Danny held up three fingers and smiled. She moaned and raised her GRC. After three minutes of shooting (and only missing twice), Danny returned to the remote to start the second lesson in aiming.

"Now you're going to have to shoot while they're moving. And be careful. Sometimes, ghosts will disappear and people will appear where they were. You should watch out for that. Don't shoot the people."

"Okay," Star said uneasily.

"Begin."

She raised her weapon and began firing. To their surprise, three 'ghosts' were captured in the first five seconds. Gaining more confidence, she continued shooting . . . perfectly. Danny could tell she was getting into the training.

"Lesson number three in aiming," he declared as he reset the figures. "This time, you'll have to use two weapons — the GRC and any other weapon of choice. I suggest we start with something small like ectoplasmic goo. You're going to have to figure out when to use each. And keep an eye out for the people. Begin."

Star turned back to the equipment tables and prepared to fire but Danny shouted, "Up here!"

She looked up and saw a 2-dimensional ghost figure protruding from the ceiling right before Danny. Thinking quickly, she raised one of her weapons and fired. A glob of green goo hit the figure and she shot it with the GRC. After making sure there were no more ghosts near him, she returned to the figures on the ground.

"Incase of a massive ghost attack, stay by me. And I'll try to stay on the ground. That way, we can back each other up," he informed. Star nodded and glanced at him. She did that after every few shots to make sure he didn't need help.

After five more minutes of practice, he ended the session and the two went upstairs to take a break.

"That was really good," Danny commented as he poured a glass of water for her. Star smiled and took it.

"Wow, it must be pretty easy for you to practice with all this equipment. I guess having parents that hunt ghosts is pretty useful."

"Not really. Don't forget about the whole 'Public Enemy Number One' thing. I'm the most wanted ghost on their list."

Star stared at him and frowned. "You haven't told them yet?"

"I haven't found the right time to tell them. I'm thinking it'll be easier for them to figure out Danny Phantom's really a good ghost who's been trying to _help_ the town rather then destroy it. Less explaining to do."

"You should've told them from the beginning," Star told him, but he snorted in reply.

"Yeah, sure. Hey Mom and Dad, guess what? I accidentally walked into the Fenton Ghost Portal and made myself half ghost. Cool, huh?"

Star laughed. "You didn't have to say it like _that_."

"I also didn't need the pressure of them trying to experiment on me and trying to get me back to normal, if that's even possible. Too much to deal with."

Star shrugged and returned to her drink. There was no point in arguing. Boys were just too stubborn.

"You know, you'd be pretty popular if you showed a little more of that superhero strength."

"I don't need popularity if I have to obtain it that way," Danny replied before realizing he sounded a lot like Sam. "I mean, it'd be cool to fit in with the in-crowd, but I'm not going to expose myself for that reason. Besides, how will I use my powers to torment Dash if he knows it's me?"

"You torment Dash? Oh yeah! I used to wonder why he would randomly run into lockers. So, it was you?"

"Sometimes, yeah. But I think he does that on his own sometimes, too."

Star nearly choked.

"Oh you're mean."

Danny smiled. "No, I'm serious."

She opened her mouth to speak, but something outside caused the entire house to shake. She screamed and fell, but Danny caught her.

"What's going on?"

There was a loud rumbling noise and both turned to the window. There, just above them, was Skulker. He raised his hand and fired a missile from his suit. The house shook again and his time, both Danny and Star fell.

"What's he doing?" she asked. Danny stood up.

"I dunno, but he's not gonna get away with it. Come on."

"What? Me? Against that?" she stammered, but Danny was already headed outside. "Danny! I — ugh, why do I bother?"

Skulker pressed something on his suit and a transparent blue light hit a small device on Danny's roof. It rose into the air, and moved toward him.

"I don't think so," Danny shouted as he flew past and grabbed the square box-shaped item. Skulker clenched his fists and rose higher into the air.

"You always have to interfere, don't you?" he yelled back. Danny didn't respond. He waited for his enemy to make the first move. Skulker held out his hands and two sharp claws rose out of his armor. He leaned forward and flew at the halfa.

Danny threw the device over him, became intangible, and caught it again when Slulker flew through him.

"So that's how you wanna play? Fine."

He held out his hands again, but this time, the claws turned red. Danny knew what that meant. Usually, almost all red ectoplasmic energy was able to affect a ghost whether they were intangible or not. But then what did blue and purple do? His energy blade was blue and it broke through almost any of his enemies' defenses. All of his attacks in Power-Enhanced mode were blue. And those, too, were stronger than his enemies' attacks. Maybe blue was a higher level of strength? And purple? Purple was probably the strongest. Vlad had a purple ectoplasmic attack, and it was unbeatable.

But what about black? Evieor had black. Maybe black energy was for attacks that were copied? With the exception of purple since the attack Evieor took from Vlad remained purple.

Skulker's cry of fury woke him from his thoughts and he nearly screamed too when he noticed the ghost was only two feet away from him. He tried creating a shield, though it probably wouldn't have been conjugated in time anyway. Just as Skulker was about to reach him, a small green beam from below knocked him off balance and he missed.

Danny looked down and saw Star with two weapons. He gave her thumbs up and she returned it.

"You've got a new sidekick?" Skulker asked when he returned. Danny ignored his question.

"What do you want with this?" he asked, raising the device in his hands.

"That's confidential," the armored ghost replied. Danny raised a brow.

"Doing Plasmius' shopping again?"

Skulker was surprised and Danny knew he had guessed right.

"So, what does he want with my dad's Ghost Shield?"

"You should know by now I don't answer stupid questions," Skulker said as he flew at him to retrieve the object.

"Even those are too complicated for you, aren't they?" Danny retorted. He held out his right hand swung it through the air. A vibrant green light of energy followed his movement and hit his enemy. "Now Star!"

Without hesitation, she aimed the GRC and fired. Skulker became intangible and then, realizing that the beam was red, flew out of the way. Star aimed again, but the ghost didn't give her a chance to do anything else. He shot a glowing net which targeted her and knocked her down.

Danny turned his attention to Star and didn't notice that a weight had been lifted from his hands. After realizing that Skulker had the Ghost Shield, he flew after him at immense speed.

"Danny, he's here!" Star shouted. He stopped and immediately became invisible. Skulker took that as an advantage and became invisible as well, disappearing from their view. But Danny didn't notice. His heart was beating quickly and he had to get Star to safety.

"Evieor?" he whispered when he reached her. She gasped and looked around.

"Yeah. Where are you?"

She felt his hand close around her wrist as he pulled her through the green net. They ran between two buildings and remained there until the ghost disappeared. Danny became visible again and punched the wall. Star stepped back and he rested his head in his arms.

"He got away!"

Two Days Later

Vlad was sitting near the window of the dark room, clicking wires in the faint light of the moon. His shoulders were hunched and he practically had his nose in his work. That was how it had been for the past few days.

There was a small spark and he lifted his head immediately and screamed out of frustration.

"What am I doing wrong?" he wondered aloud. A knock on the door disturbed him from his thoughts and he gritted his teeth in anger. "You better have good news."

A pale figure walked through the door and entered the slightly vacant room.

"Can it get any darker in here?"

"I'm busy," Vlad said coldly.

"Doing what exactly?" the visitor asked, looking over the halfa's shoulder at the small device on the table.

"Why does it matter to you?" he replied bitterly, returning to his work.

"I retrieved it for you. I think I have the right to know."

Knowing the argument was getting them nowhere, Vlad gave in and sighed.

"I'm trying to—"

He shivered slightly and Skulker raised a brow.

"What's wrong?"

"We have company," Vlad said and turned around. As if on cue, a slim, tall, and dark figure stepped through the wall.

"Evieor," he greeted politely. "What is it you need this time?"

"Ember," the ghost replied stiffly. The other two waited for him to say something else, but he did not.

"Why?" Skulker asked. Vlad stood up and walked to the other end of the room. He opened a closet and began looking through its shelves. After finding what he needed, he closed it and returned to his desk.

Evieor stood still and waited, never abandoning his scowl. Not feeling in the mood for a staring contest, Skulker turned away. Just as he did, another figure flew through the wall and appeared beside them.

"You called?" Ember asked. Vlad waved a hand at Evieor and continued his work.

"What do you need this time?" she asked.

"We have trouble. I can't find Phantom."

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Ember asked.

"I mean, he's not around anymore. The last time I saw him was three or four days ago when he was battling Spectra. He would've lost, too, if his sister hadn't come."

"Again? Don't you notice something?" she asked. "He can't win without help!"

"That's exactly what I think he's getting. I believe he found someone to warn him when I'm coming. Either that or he's just stopped fighting. Either way, I haven't seen him."

"He hasn't stopped fighting," Vlad said. "Daniel doesn't quit. Trust me, I would know. But Ember's right. I've noticed that he usually does lose if his friends aren't around to help or at least support him."

"Which is why we separated him and his friends—"

"YOU DID WHAT?" Vlad shouted. Nearly everyone jumped back in fright. "Didn't I _tell_ you not to mess with his friends?"

The halfa's sudden outburst did not startle Evieor. He continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

"But apparently, he found another helper because every time I show up, he's gone."

Skulker smiled and stepped forward.

"Indeed, he has. A tall blonde girl. Sound familiar?" he asked Vlad, who was now listening attentively. A smile crept upon his face and he chuckled lightly.

"Star? Star's helping him now? Is he that desperate?"

"Don't underestimate her. She's not that bad," Skulker informed.

"Who is this Star?" Evieor asked.

"You needn't worry about that," Vlad replied. "I'll take care of her."

"There was another girl," Evieor said. "Orange hair—"

"Jasmine," he sighed. "Yes, she's another bother. Always looking out for her brother."

This caught the ghost's interest. He narrowed his eyes.

_Brother?_

"You really want to get the kid out in the open?" Ember asked suddenly. Everyone turned their attention to her. "You need to take something near and dear."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Evieor asked, though an idea was forming in his head.

"Can she make it any more obvious?" Skulker said, but the ghost ignored him.

"I have an idea," he announced. Ember laughed.

"There's a first," she said. Evieor narrowed his eyes dangerously. Whether she was brave or stupid for standing up to him, he did not know. However, if he didn't need her so much, she wouldn't have gotten away with that remark.

"Hold your tongue," he warned. Ember scowled. "I need more information on his friends."

She placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"How about I capture them for you instead?" she offered. He nodded, but did not speak again.

"And what's the rest of the plan?" Ember asked quickly before the ghost left. Sparks of black energy surrounded him.

"Leave that to me," he said before the darkness engulfed him and he disappeared.

* * *

_Okay, Evieor's up to no good once again. Typical — So, what could Vlad be working on? It's pretty obvious if you paid attention to chapt 7. It'll be revealed towards the end of this fic (which won't be anytime soon). As I stated before, Fading Remembrance is a little longer than I would've expected. It was originally supposed to be 17 chapters, but now it's moving closer to 20. Ah well. And now, the moment you all (or some of you) have been waiting for!_

Chapt 9- The Dreamer Returns

**Sneak Peek**

"_You really want to know?"_

_Danny didn't move. He just continued to stare at her, making sure to block her from getting past him. Suddenly, - - - - - - - dropped her books and bent her arms back, keeping her palms facing Danny. They began to glow and she pushed her arms forward into his stomach. A red gust of wind hit him with full force and he fell back. - - - - - - - looked around to make sure the hall was empty before rising into the air. _

"_You're going to have to fight me to find out."_


	9. The Dreamer Returns

_All right, chapter 9 is up. Sorry it took so long. I'm a procrastinator. Well, anyway, the last chapter **Star's Guard** basically left off with Evieor, Skulker, Ember, and Vlad conversing. Ok, my reviewers seem to have filled in the blanks in Chapter 8's sneak peek. But are they correct? You'll see._

**JK rulez:**_ You have guessed right. What could she be up to now? Nothing good . . . or maybe she's on Danny's side now? Anyway, I appreciate your honest opinion. To be truthful, I feel I enjoyed writing AH a little more than this one. I guess I'm out of it at the moment. But don't worry, lots of action coming up. Not to mention A LOT of evil cliffhangers. Oh yeah, a small DS section coming up soon for the DS fans. But it's not much. Ok, I should stop talking now before I give it all away. I'm very grateful that you're following this fic, even though it is a little off. _

**Ohka Breynekai:**_ LoL, yes cliffhangers and sneak peeks are both a torture. Why do I do it? To drive you guys crazy . . . heh heh. Patience is a virtue my friend. I suggest you read this chapter slowly if you don't want to wait for chapter 10. _

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Great to hear from you. And thank you for having the patience to review every chapter :) I'm glad you love this. Yes, Evieor is slow. But he's also new. So will he catch on to things? Or he will he continue to be completely oblivious to the fact that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are the same? Well, there's only one way to find out.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 9- The Dreamer Returns

In a way, Danny was glad Star was so persistent. Her assistance was very helpful. For the past few days, he had managed to fight whatever ghosts had appeared and was still able to finish the battle before Evieor arrived with her warnings. But still, he felt somewhat empty when battling.

It just wasn't right without Sam and Tucker. He had to find a way to talk to them. Maybe they could set things straight and go back to being friends.

_But what caused them to say those things about me?_

How would he explain to them that he hadn't said any of that without knowing what really did?

He kept his eyes shut tight against the light of the morning sun. Why had Jazz opened his curtains? The annoying beeping of the alarm clock beside him continued monotonously. Finally, reaching over to his right, he felt around with his hands until he found the off switch.

Sighing deeply, Danny opened his eyes halfway and rolled out of bed. He yawned and made his way to the bathroom to wash up. Jazz, as usual, was sitting with her legs crossed and a book in her hands. Her eyes moved left to right quickly and it was obvious to see that she was getting into her reading.

"Good Morning, honey," Maddie said as she set a bowl of milk for him on the table. Danny grumbled "G' Morning" as he sat down.

"Why're you so tired? Rough night?" Jazz asked, taking her nose out of the book. Danny mumbled and began to pour cereal for himself. It was indeed a rough night, but for once, not because of ghosts. He couldn't stop thinking about Tucker and Sam. No matter how hard he tried to ignore the subject, something in the back of his mind kept telling him he had watch out for them. But how would he do that if they didn't want him near them?

He thought about it again during breakfast and finally decided that he was going to make up with them, no matter what it took.

He finished breakfast and made his way to the door with confidence. Just as he opened it, Jazz shouted from across the room, dropped her book, and ran over to him.

"No! I'll drive you," she said. Danny raised a brow.

"But I can—"

"I'll drive you," she insisted and, before waiting for his reply, left the house and dragged him with her.

"Jazz, I can fly," he muttered for his parents not to hear as they walked to her car. Then, thinking about what he just said, Danny mentally smacked himself. How was he going to fly when Evieor was still roaming Amity Park? And why did his sister have to get the brains?

Danny leaned back in his seat and looked out the window as Jazz entered the car at the driver's seat. The sun was shining brightly and there were very few clouds. It was strange how the weather kept changing. Staring at the sky brought images to Danny's mind. He remembered how dark and fogged it was the previous month and made sure to take in the view now before that happened again.

Star was waiting by the entrance of Casper High. After catching sight of the raven haired boy, she moved through the crowd to greet him. Jazz parked and they stepped out of the vehicle. Danny thanked her and left. She hid her keys in her bag and began walking behind him. Although, something didn't seem right. Sam and Tucker weren't him. She raised a brow and watched him and Star walk away.

"Kwan's getting suspicious," she told Danny as they retrieved their books. "He sees me hanging around with you all the time."

"So? It's not like they're going to kick you out of their 'cool' club or something," he stated as he retrieved his books. Star raised a brow and slanted her mouth slightly. Danny looked at her and frowned.

"Or maybe they will . . . Listen, don't worry about it. I'm going to try to make up with Sam and Tuck today so you can go back to hanging out with your friends."

Star smiled.

"I never knew helping you would be so much work, but in a way, I'll miss it. If you ever need my assistance, just call. And good luck."

She started walking away, but then stopped and turned around.

"By the way, you are considered one of my friends."

"Thanks," Danny replied. "You too."

She smiled again and left. Taking a deep breath, Danny shut his locker and proceeded to class.

When it came for English, he gathered his confidence and waited for Sam and Tucker by the door. The bell rang again and late students began rushing inside. Tucker and Sam were in the group. They noticed Danny was watching them but didn't have a chance to stop due to the pushing and shoving behind them.

Every time Lancer turned around, Danny would scribble something on a piece of paper. After every three written words, the teacher would look back at him. By the time he finished the note and crumpled it up, there were only five minutes left in the period. He glanced back at Lancer and, as soon as he had his back facing the class, Danny quickly threw the note. It slid off Sam's desk and she jumped up startled. The note landed beneath Kwan.

Danny punched the table lightly in frustration and looked around. Fortunately, everyone was writing so it wasn't hard for him to become intangible and phase through his seat. Sam stared at him awkwardly and then looked back at Tucker. He was chuckling slightly and she could help but do so as well. In a way, they both kind of missed Danny's goofs.

Kwan looked down and noticed the rolled up sheet of paper with words written on it. Just as he bent down to pick it up, Danny pulled it through the floor and startled the jock. He screamed, "GHOST!" and students began panicking and ran out the door. Lancer shouted at them, but no one listened. The bell rang and Danny grabbed his books and ran out with everyone else.

"Nice move," Tucker said as he passed by him. Danny turned around, but the teen was already on his way to class with his books. He sighed and undid his combination.

Students cleared out of the halls immediately in fear of being attacked by the so-called 'ghost'. He took out his Global book and closed the locker door. Just as Danny turned around, a figure standing a few lockers away caught his attention.

She was wearing a one-sleeved burgundy shirt with a dark pink-red line at the slanted top. The sleeve ended just below herelbow and the tip was the same color. Her pants were slightly darker than the shirt and, for some reason, a belt that resembled Ember's was hanging loosely around her waist. The girl had crimson hair ending just below her shoulders.

So Danny wasn't seeing things. She really was here. She was by his window on the night of the storm. But why? Why was she at Casper High? Strangely, she almost seemed human, but the new outfit and hairdo didn't fool him.

"_Sana?_ What're you doing here?"

"Getting my books. This _is _my locker," Sana replied, gesturing towards her locker.

"You know what I mean!"

"Relax, Fenton. I have every right to be here. I'm 15 years old and therefore am still eligible to attend school."

"Not _this _school!" Danny exclaimed. "Go find someone else to torture! Wait, you're fifteen?" he asked, abandoning his anger. He assumed she was sixteen.

"Well, I've been a ghost for nine years, but I was fifteen before I died. Ah well, what the principal doesn't know won't hurt her."

She turned to walk away, but Danny grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again, more sternly. A smile crept upon Sana's face.

"Now, now, Danny. We don't want anyone to see that dream of yours, do we?"

Danny's expression turned to shock and he let go of her.

"You forgot about that, didn't you?" she asked. Danny remained silent. He didn't forget, but he didn't exactly remember either.

"You can't hold that against me forever," he said fiercely.

"Why not?" Sana asked, the smile still set upon her face. "I have my powers, you have yours. I'm just using mine to my advantage."

She turned to walk away, but Danny ran in front of her.

"Why are you here?"

Sana's smile disappeared and she sighed.

"You really want to know?"

Danny didn't move. He just continued to stare at her, making sure to block her from getting past him. Suddenly, Sana dropped her books and bent her arms back, keeping her palms facing Danny. They began to glow and she pushed her arms forward into his stomach. A red gust of wind hit him with full force and he fell back. Sana looked around to make sure the hall was empty before rising into the air.

"You're going to have to fight me to find out."

Danny lay on the floor, trying to think of what just happened. He felt excruciating pain in his stomach. Sana's hands blazed again and she fired another blast. Her attack collided with the floor just beside Danny's head. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the smoke next to him.

"That's just a warning for you to get up," the ghost threatened. He did as he was told and got to his feet.

"You want a fight?" he said angrily, transforming into Danny Phantom. "You've got one."

In an instant, he fired an ecto-blast at her. Sana's hands turned red again to prepare a defense, but she wasn't quick enough. Danny's assault knocked her out of the air and she found herself lying on her back. Danny flew above her and aimed another blast, but Sana looked up at him with her evil smirk and phased through the floor.

Danny's expression turned to confusion and he looked up, expecting her to reappear right in front of him. There was a shattering noise and the hallway turned a dark crimson color. Danny barely had time to figure out what happened. He was hit in the back with a whip-like draft of wind and fell forward. He did a summersault in the air to avoid falling headfirst into the ground.

The window at the end of the hall was shattered and Sana was sitting casually on the window sill, one arm on her knee.

Danny clenched his teeth pushed himself off the ground with his feet. Yelling in frustration, he swung his hand around as he turned and released another wave of energy. Sana jumped off the window sill and, instead of landing, she remained in the air and released another red gust of wind from her hand, and then another from the other.

Danny crossed his arms over his face and created a green shield. He saw two red flashes as Sana's beams collided with his shield and disintegrated. As soon as the red sparks cleared from his view, he saw her flying straight into the shield. She tilted her body slightly and bent her arm back. With one forceful punch, she managed to cause a vibration that made Danny lose control.

As soon as the shield was down, Sana clenched her other glowing fist and pushed it forward. The red glow became a beam, but Danny's green hand grabbed hers and the beam disappeared. Sana gasped just in time for him to release his own blast at her. She was pushed back and slid across the floor, landing on her back. Danny rose higher into the air and held his hands out together. She did a backward summersault on the floor and landed in a squat. Before the halfa could release another blast, she sunk through the floor and rose up behind him.

From his knowledge from previous battles, Danny already knew not to look around when a ghost disappeared from view. Thinking quickly, he spun around a few times and aimlessly began firing ectoplasmic energy. Sana dodged a few and then became intangible for the others.

"Why do you always have to complicate things?" Danny asked when he stopped spinning. Then he put a hand to his forehead and moaned slightly. Sana laughed.

"You amuse me, Halfa."

She flew down and Danny looked up. She flipped forward once and, instead kicking him with her foot, she hit him with the bottom of her leg. The force knocked him to the ground instantly. Danny screamed in pain and she smiled.

"How pathetic . . ."

She flew up again and clenched her hands in fists. She raised them high above her head and then brought them down simultaneously. Two red flares formed in the air and advanced on Danny. He rolled out of the way and then got to his feet. Sana descended and stepped onto the ground.

He breathed heavily and watched his opponent wearily. His legs were shaking slightly and he felt as though he would collapse in a few minutes. Danny wanted to stand up straight and look her in the eyes, but it didn't matter anymore. She knew he was growing weak. There was no point in using his strength to pretend he wasn't.

Sana gazed at the halfa with a slight smirk, but it wasn't her usual wide smile. At the moment, she was faking it. There was nothing to smirk about except for the fact that her rival was exhausted and didn't notice she felt the exact same way. More than anything, she wanted to sit down and take a break. But why quit now? He didn't know she was pretending to still be strong. According to him, she was still full of energy and ready for another battle. And his ignorance was to her advantage.

For a few more seconds, both ghosts just stared at each other. Each was waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, with a tremendous amount of effort, Danny yelled angrily and began to run at her. Sana narrowed her eyes with caution. He aimed two green beams at her and she held out her glowing red hands. She caught the beams and threw them over her while jumping back. She landed on her hands and, instead of completing the flip, she kicked out and hit Danny in the chest. He stumbled back and she landed on her feet.

Danny felt the searing pain return and he dropped to his knees. Sana rested her hand on her hip and waited. He took a deep breath and looked up at her. With a satisfactory smile, she jumped back up and, just as quickly, flew down again ready to kick him. He leaned back, grabbed her foot, and threw her.

Sana let out a yelp and fell back. Both teens were breathing heavily, but she seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Had enough?" she asked.

Danny gritted his teeth and then took another breath. Suddenly, he pushed himself up and ran at her again as a faint green glow formed from his fingertips. Sana smirked and emitted a red flare from each of her claw-like hands. Without hesitation, she began to run at him as well.

When the teens were about three feet apart, they jumped into the air and cried out in fury. Each had one knee bent and their hands were at one side. They both brought them forward and there was a flash of green and red.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Star tapped her pen lightly against the desk and looked around again. The seat beside Tucker was still empty and she could tell he was confused as well. Finally deciding something was wrong, Star raised her hand.

"Yes?" the teacher asked, looking at her and then at someone else. She turned around and saw Tucker with his hand raised as well.

"Can I get a drink?" he asked the same time Star said, "May I go to the bathroom?"

Mrs. Dale waited a few seconds and then nodded. Both students stood up, glanced at each other, and then walked out of the room. Once outside, they turned and ran in two separate directions.

Star just began running down the stairs when she heard a loud explosive noise from below. There was a strange flash of a mix of green and red and she began to panic.

"Fenton?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tucker began to slow down as he read the class numbers above the doorframe. When he reached Sam's class, he knocked and waited as the teacher opened the door.

"Um, can I speak to Sam? It's an emergency," he said nervously. The teacher (who looked more like someone who belonged in a rock band) called Sam over his shoulder. In a few seconds she appeared beside him.

"Tucker?"

"Sam, I need to talk to you. It's really important."

"Why? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I mean no. Well, I dunno. Physically, I'm fine. But I'm kinda worried."

"About what?"

Tucker waited a while before answering. He felt sort of awkward discussing this topic with her so suddenly. Suddenly, Mr. Vinno caught his attention. He looked up at him and, as if the teacher had snapped back to reality, he got the message and pointed to the classroom.

"You two chat for a while. I'll be teaching," the teacher said as he returned to class and closed the door. Sam smiled.

"You know, of all the teachers in the school, this guy's definitely the coolest," she said, pointing over her shoulder. Tucker raised a brow.

"He's strange."

"Exactly. So, what did you want?"

"Something's wrong," he said immediately. "Danny never showed up for Global."

Sam sighed and gave him an irritable look. Tucker noticed and frowned. He was expecting that reaction from her.

"Sam, seriously—"

"He's probably fighting a ghost, Tucker. This isn't new. Whatever it is, I don't think he needs _our_ help. Let him go find Star," she said angrily. He sensed a note of jealousy in her voice.

"He didn't replace us with Sta—"

"He told her his secret and then got her to help do _our_ job. That's not replacement?" she cut him off.

"Look, I'm not sure how Star found out, but I doubt he told her. She's best friends with Valerie for crying out loud! He's not that stupid . . ."

Sam smirked, crossed her arms, and leaned back against the door.

"Listen, I know what he did to us was wrong, but I'm still kind of worried. And, deep down, I know you are too," he said. Her expression softened and her eyes widened slightly.

"I-I—"

"You do too," he repeated sternly. She looked down and shrugged.

"Come on. I heard something from downstairs. I think that's where Star is now."

"Oh great. She's become his watchdog now. That's what Kujo's for!" Sam shouted angrily to Star, wherever she was . . .

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny opened his eyes and groaned. He was lying on his stomach. Sana was at the opposite end of the hall, lying the same way with her arms out beside her head. He pushed himself up on his elbows and then stood up. She twitched slightly and then lifted her head from the floor.

Her patience was thinning and she, too, forced herself up. There were large cracks on the wall behind each of them. The force of their combined blasts sent them flying back, right into them. And it hurt . . .

Her crimson eyes flashed dangerously and Danny stepped forward.

"Enough," he said almost pleadingly. Her hands flared and she persistently continued the battle. Danny clenched his fists and raised them before his face in a fighting position. Sana dashed down the empty hall with a fierce and angry look on her face. She jumped up, pulled back an arm, and then pushed it forward with full force. Danny jumped out of the way and she ended up punching the floor. When she lifted her glowing hand, a large hole in the shape of a circle was planted firmly in the surface.

Without hesitation, she threw out her other hand and, as if swiping at something, tried to hit Danny, but he jumped back several times as she repeated this. Finally, he jumped back, landed in a squat, and flew up. Once again, she punched the floor and missed.

Sana looked up and closed her hands into fists. The flare increased.

"_Rah!_" she shouted hoarsely and jumped up, continuing to swipe at the air as he dodged.

He grabbed her hands when she tried again and she kicked him. He cried out in pain when her hand finally reached his arm and slowly began to fall.

Where was she going with this fight? When was it going to end?

"Look out!" someone yelled. Growing frustrated, Danny turned his back to the floor and created a blast. It destroyed Sana's blast and then hit her.

"Is there a point to this?" he shouted to her. She put a hand to her stomach and then looked back at him as he floated cautiously below her.

"You wanted to find out why I came to this school," she answered.

"And you're not telling me!" he said angrily. Sana smiled and the red flare disappeared. But Danny still kept his fists raised just incase.

"I came to Casper High for several reasons. One, the Ghost Zone is no longer safe."

"Because of Evieor," Danny said.

"His real name was Evan, but he didn't like it so he changed to Evieor."

"Oh yeah, Evieor's _much_ better," Danny commented sarcastically. "Why are you afraid of him?"

"I refused to give him a power and now he's against me. And I'm not afraid!" she snapped stubbornly.

"Okay, but why _here_?"

"Well, you're here. And I recently obtained a new power. One that only works on humans and since you're only _half _ghost, I decided to test it out on you."

Danny looked alarmed.

"Wait, what?"

She raised her hands once more and a dark red light reflected against the walls. Soon, she was hidden behind thick smoke that spread throughout the hall. Danny felt himself growing weak with every breath he took. Images of their battle were racing through his mind. He put his hands to his head and screamed. It didn't seem like Casper High anymore. They were locked inside the red smog. Sana was laughing and he knew she was watching him.

He looked around, but there was nothing but red darkness.

"Stop!" he yelled. The laughter stopped and everything became blurred. His eyes closed and he felt himself falling back. The hall slowly began coming back into view and the smoke cleared.

Sana lowered her hands and smiled at the sleeping figure. There was a white-blue flash and two rings formed at his midsection, transforming him back to his human form. She walked up to him slowly and bent down a little. His eyes were closed. He looked almost peaceful.

"Should I finish you off now or see if my power is successful?" she asked.

"The latter," Star said angrily, holding up a glowing GRC. Sana raised her head and turned quickly.

"What happened to the other dweebs?" she asked.

"Right here," Tucker called. She turned around again and saw a dark-skinned boy and a pale Goth standing by the stairs.

"What're you doing here?" Star asked, completely forgetting about the ghost.

Sam narrowed her eyes angrily and opened her mouth, but Tucker put a hand to her lips.

"We heard something," he said.

All three of them forgot about Sana, which suited her well. She took their distraction as a chance to escape. With one last glance at Danny, she smiled and flew down the hall to the shattered window. Once out of the school, she sped up and saw a figure flying toward her. In an instant, another female ghost flew past. She had flaming blue hair and strange black designs on her skin. Sana recognized her immediately as Ember. They exchanged glances and then went separate ways.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Star hid her weapon and leaned over Danny's unconscious form. What did she do to him? Sam and Tucker stayed where they were.

"Danny?" she asked, trying to pull him up. "Danny, get up!"

He remained where he was. She tried again, but her arms were too weak. There was a sudden chill and she shivered slightly and looked up. The glass from the window was completely shattered.

"Can you help—?" she began, but when she turned around, Tucker and Sam were gone.

"—me?"

* * *

_Oops, again with the cliffhangers. Sorry people, but they are necessary. So, what do you think happened to Sam and Tuck? It's pretty obvious. LoL. Sana's power, on the other hand, isn't. Well, I guess I have no choice but to leave you guessing until I put up chapter 10. Tensions are rising. And Valerie's coming up very soon. Oooh, poor Danny. That's the last thing he needs. Will she fight him or will she help him? These questions are probably driving you crazy right about now. Anyway, the answer to some of them lies within chapter 10, "_**Missing**_". _

Please R&R. The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. If I get at least 5, for this chapter, I'll update chapt 10 tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday. **Special thanks to JK rulez, Ohka Breynekai, Phantomshadowdragon, Cakreut12, katiesparks, Inumaru12, PhantomKat7, ilikedan, and Liaranne for taking time to review! I REALLY appreciate it. **


	10. Missing

_Ok, EXTREMELY short chapter. Sorry guys. I'll try to make Chapt 11 a quick update. But, even though this chapt is short, it does explain Sana's new power and the cliffhanger from the last chapter. Once again, sorry. _

**JK rulez:**_ "Although the cliffhanger isn't as evil as it could've been" LoL, you want it to be worse? I agree, the cliffhanger isn't that bad for chapt 9 (and this one too), but nevertheless it ends the chapter with many different things happening. Last chapter ended with Sam and Tucker actually wanting to help out Danny, Sana's new power, Sam and Tucker's disappearance, Ember's small cameo appearance at the end, and blah blah blah. And now onto the questions . . . _

Does Valerie discover Danny's secret?_ You'll see Val in the next chapter. And judging by her attitude towards Danny, he better hope she doesn't. But you never know unless you read?_

And what are Sam and Tucker thinking right now?_ Well, at first they were actually willing to help Danny. But then when Star needed them, they were gone. Who knows what they're thinking? Either they're mad or they're not. You can never really tell. But you'll hear more about them in this chapt._

**DefinenormalAB:**_ A new reviewer. Hey! Well, it might be that they don't care. Or maybe something else? You never know. Maybe they have a reason for disappearing. The answer lies within the story. Oh and thanks for the review!_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ We all feel bad for the poor halfa. As for Sana . . . you'll find out what she did in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!_

**Dramaqueen07:**_ Thanks. You're reviewer #4 or this chapt. One more and this'll be a VERY quick update._

**Phantomshadowdragon:** _My fifth reviewer for this chapt! Congrats. You have all earned yourselves a quick update. Thanks a lot guys! Okay, PSD, onto your review. Sana's main power involves dreams, but she can also create red forms of energy and gust of wind. It's not as powerful as Danny's blasts, but it does keep her on the defensive. As for the kicking $$ thing, LoL, unlike Amity's Hero, she's not wearing a dress. So now she can move more freely. She mainly goes for the kicks. And yes, I agree, Evan is much easier than Evieor. And much more sane too. Since you claim to have difficulties pronouncing Evieor, I'll help. Okay, it sounds basically like _Eh-vee-or._ Simple eh? And the reason for Sam's and Tuck's disappearance will become clear soon enough . . . but maybe not in this chapter._

_Pshhhh, come on. The cliffhanger wasn't that bad. And neither is this one. Don't skip ahead! LoL_

**Fading Remembrance **

Chapt 10- Missing

Danny opened his eyes slowly and looked around. There was a bark from behind and he turned around in alarm. A giant bulldog was panting above him. He barked again and licked him. Danny made a face as the dog covered him in drool.

Star laughed and he sat up. She was standing by the door, watching them.

"What happened? How'd you get here?" he asked.

"I rode the ghost dog express," she replied. "By the way, nice name."

"How do you know his name?" Danny asked.

"I called him Cujo since he reminded me of an old book I read and he responded to that. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Danny replied. "I just had the weirdest dream."

"And what was it about?" she asked as she sat down at the edge of the bed.

Danny yawned and scratched the dog's chin. He closed his eyes and transformed back into a pup. He pulled Kujo into his lap and turned back to Star.

"The details are kind of blurred, but I think we were at school. Do you remember that ghost that tried to show the town how I got my powers last month?"

She thought back and then said, "Oh yeah! So it _was_ her! I knew she seemed familiar."

Danny stared at her awkwardly.

"What?"

"Nevermind, keep going."

He waited a few more seconds and then continued.

"Uh, she was dressed differently. I asked her why she was in the school, but she told me that to find out, I would have to fight her. So we battled, and then she used some weird power on me. There was a lot of red smoke . . ."

Star narrowed her eyes curiously.

"Danny, that wasn't a dream," she said.

"What are you talking about? Of course it was."

"No it wasn't. I was there. I saw her use her power. And so did Sam and Tucker."

Danny's eyes widened.

"How'd you know Sam and Tuck were there?" he asked.

"Because it wasn't a dream," she repeated. "Everything you just told me really happened. She knocked you out."

"But it felt like one," he insisted. "It doesn't feel like any of that happened."

"But it _did_. Trust me. . ."

Her voice faded and she returned to thinking. Danny looked at Kujo, but the puppy had the same confused look.

"A dream," she finally said. "That must be it. Her new power is probably to make people feel like what actually happened in real life is just a dream."

"So what I dreamt was real?" he asked, making sure. She nodded.

"We're going to have to watch out for that one. Do you think Fo — Tucker and Sam know yet?"

Danny's expression changed and looked down. Star noticed and bit her lip.

"You didn't make up with them yet, did you?"

He shook his head.

"I didn't get a chance . . ."

"Oh . . . I guess that would explain why they left."

He looked at her.

"They left? When?"

"When you were knocked out. I tried to carry you, but I couldn't. So I turned around to ask them for help and they weren't there."

Anger rose within him and he stood up. Kujo yelped and jumped out of his lap just in time.

"_They left?_ They knew I needed help and they _left_? That's really low," he said angrily. Star looked at him sympathetically.

"So much for always watching out for each other," he mumbled.

"Now that I think about it, I didn't really hear any footsteps," she said, trying to comfort him. "I wasn't really paying that close attention, but I don't think I heard any."

That didn't do much to help.

"Where's Sana?" he asked, changing the subject a little too quickly. Star blushed and looked away.

"I-I think she escaped," she practically whispered. "Sorry."

Danny smiled at her.

"Don't be. They usually always do."

It was strange how different she was to him ever since she found about his secret. No more name-calling. No more laughing at him and referring to him as geek or freak . . .

In a way, he missed the old days. Now it was just weird. And if she changed that much, what would happen if he continued to let his secret slip? First Jazz who went from hating anything ghost-related to becoming an obsessive ghost hunter. And then Star who went from popular 'shallow' girl (as Sam stated repeatedly) to becoming a great friend.

If he continued to let his secret slip, how many more changes were there going to be?

A polyphonic ring tone interrupted his thoughts and his hand immediately went to his pocket. However, it was Star's phone that rang. She looked at the ID, muttered a name, and then answered the call.

"Paulina, hey."

Danny immediately put a hand to Kujo's mouth.

"No I'm not busy . . . . . . Sure . . . . . I'll be there soon . . . . Bye."

She hung up and got to her feet.

"I have to go meet Paulina. She's been complaining that we don't hang out much anymore and wants to meet me at the Nasty Burger."

Danny nodded and thanked her for her help. She pet the ghost pup one last time and then left.

Danny lay back down and sighed. So much for making up . . .

When he returned to school the next day, there were guards everywhere. The new security system Casper High had set up due to Vlad's ghost attack had eased a bit and the guards were removed after a few ghost-less weeks. Why had they been brought back?

Danny stepped behind a tree and, after making sure no one was watching, cried, "I'm Going Ghost!" and transformed into his alter ego. He became invisible and flew into the school from the back. He transformed in his locker and then stepped out . . . and walked into someone. She stumbled back and rubbed her head.

"Danny?"

"Star? How'd you get in the school? You're only allowed to carry the GRC with you. All other weapons will be taken away."

She stepped up to her locker and opened it. There, occupying an entire shelf, was a group of ghost-related gadgets.

"I kept them in my locker. After Sana's visit yesterday, I figured they'd bring back the guards. So I left everything but the GRC in school."

Danny was surprised. Star usually wasn't one for thinking things through.

"Any sign of Tucker and Sam?" she asked. He was about to answer 'no', but a sudden realization took hold in his mind. Their lockers were by his, so where were they?

"No, you?" he asked hopefully. Star shook her head.

"Uh oh, Kwan's coming," she said quickly. Danny got the message and began fiddling with his lock to make it seem as if he was busy.

"Hey Star," he heard the jock say. The two began talking and walked to class together. When their voices disappeared, Danny peered over his shoulder. He saw Paulina and Dash coming and looked back at the lock.

"There's been no sign of Danny Phantom lately," he heard Paulina say. "He stopped showing up a few days ago."

"I know. Where do you think he went?" Dash asked.

"I dunno. But he better come out of hiding soon. I hear there's a rumor going around that there's going to be a repeat of last moth's 'Ghost War'."

Danny's eyes widened and he dropped his books. A few landed on his foot, but he paid no attention to it.

_Ghost War_ . . .

The word kept repeating in his mind. He put his hands to his head and tried to shake it off.

"They're only saying that because of the ghost attack yesterday. But no one really _saw_ it," Dash told her. "What's wrong with _you_?" he asked.

When Paulina didn't reply, Danny turned around and realized the jock was looking at him. He put his hands down and mumbled, "Headache."

"You better not have been eavesdropping," he threatened as he grabbed the neck of Danny's shirt and pulled him off his feet.

"I wasn't!" he said defensively. It wasn't really eavesdropping if they were talking loudly. Dash gave him a look and then released him. He left, but Paulina stayed behind. When no one was watching, she walked up to Danny and blocked his way.

"Where is he?" she asked. "Danny Phantom?"

"I don't know," he said simply. "But I don't think he's coming back."

He walked past her gloomily and Paulina gave him a quizzical look.

"Not coming back . . .?" she muttered.

The day went by quickly, but there was still no sign of Sam or Tuck. Danny was beginning to worry. Why would they just disappear like this?

And then it hit him. The rumor . . .

The Mansons and Foleys were very protective — to a point where one family moved and the other went on complete lockdown. They must've heard about it.

"Fenton!"

Danny snapped out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Pay attention!" the teacher scolded.

"Sorry. I-I'm not feeling well. Can I go to the nurse?"

"How many times are you going to skip class this week?"

Without waiting for a reply, he just said, "Whatever, make it quick," and went back to his lecture.

Danny ran out of class and began searching through the halls. After looking through the third and fourth floors, he went down to the second and, unfortunately, in his haste to find them and return to class, ran into Dash.

He spilled his can of soda and cried out in fury.

"FENTON!"

Danny stepped back. "Sorry!"

"Sorry's not gonna cut it!"

He grabbed Danny's shirt and curled his hand into a fist. Danny felt his patience slip away and he narrowed his eyes in anger.

"I don't have time for this!"

He grabbed the bully's wrist and, using his ghostly strength, put such a powerful force on it that Dash had no other choice than to let go. He stepped back in surprise.

"What the heck?"

Without warning, he aimed another punch, but Danny, now completely losing control of his patience, jumped up, bent his body slightly, and kicked out with ease. He got Dash in the chest and he stumbled back. However, the halfa didn't stop there. As soon as he landed, he pushed off the floor, leaned his body forward, and punched as hard as he could.

_Stop,_ a voice yelled at him, but the stress of constant ghost fighting, the newfound rumor, the fight with his friends, and the fact that he couldn't find them easily overpowered his self-control.

His eyes flashed green and he stopped running immediately and looked down, hoping Dash hadn't seen.

"You're dead Fenton!" he yelled. Danny gasped and ran out of the way, barely avoiding a forceful punch. Dash reached out a hand to grab him and managed to get his wrist, but in a second, a chill went through his fingers and he was left holding air.

Danny ran as fast as he could. He was losing control of his powers and his mind. What was going on? Was it possible that Sana's new ability had side effects?

He reached the stairs and slid over the rail. Dash was following closely behind. Once on the first floor, he looked around for a room, anywhere he could go and escape. He was desperate enough to run into—

"The girl's bathroom! . . . Oh man, ew, never mind."

He stopped, looked back, and then clutched his chest. Exercising was definitely not his thing. Suddenly, Danny's ghost sense went off and he gasped. Green and grey smoke was starting to fill the hall. In a few seconds, it was nearly impossible to see through it. He heard Dash's scream from the distance.

"Look out!" he shouted and aimlessly fired an ectoplasmic beam from his hand. To his surprise, the jock screamed again and he knew he hadn't missed.

"They're not going to be there forever," a voice said from behind. "No matter how many friends may join you, I'll pick them off one by one. And then what? You start revealing your secret to others for them to help you? Eventually, you'll be left standing alone. But you can't fight alone, can you?"

Danny looked around.

"Where are you?" he shouted. What he meant to say was _'What are you?' _It sounded like Evieor, but why would he be talking to Danny _Fenton_?

A shadow began to form on the wall, and some of the smoke cleared so that he could see it clearly.

"You think they'll always be there for you? What happens when _you_ need to be there for _them_? How much longer will you run?"

"What're you talking about?" he snapped. "Where are Tucker and Sam?"

"Ahhh, so you _do_ care. I'm giving you a choice. Come out of hiding and face me, or your friends are mine forever."

_Hiding?_ Danny was beginning to panic. He wasn't hiding — Danny Phantom was.

"I-I think you've got the wrong guy," he said nervously, hoping Evieor wasn't the one speaking. An echoing laughter filled the hall.

"You think so? Well I don't," the voice replied. Danny stepped back and looked around. He wanted to ask "Where are you?" but couldn't find his voice. Something in the back of his mind was telling him not to speak. There was no difference in Danny Phantom's and Danny Fenton's voices.

He looked back at the wall and clenched his teeth. Two grey eyes opened in the shadow and it watched him carefully.

"So what'll it be, Phantom?"

_That wasn't such a bad cliffhanger. You can pretty much guess things are not going to end well. So now Danny has to choose whether to fight for his friends or remain in hiding. It doesn't really take much thought to figure out which he'll go for. But what'll happen before that?_

_One more thing that I just randomly came across. Incase some of you don't remember, in the summary it said:_ What'll happen when Danny's greatest fear comes alive?_ Just a heads up, Evieor is not Danny's greatest fear. Nowhere close. He has many fears, but there's one specific one that I'm referring to._

Chapt 11- Interference

**Sneak Peek**

And no ghost fighting. You are to come straight home, _her father's voice echoed in her mind._

_She looked at her watch and then back up at the ghost. He seemed to be fighting something else; something darker and taller. _

"_I'm sorry, Dad. I have to get this over with. The less there are, the better."_

_She pressed a button on her watch and a crimson jumpsuit with black circuit markings replaced her daily clothes. Reaching into her backpack, Valerie took out a small handgun and loaded it with a tube of red ectoplasmic energy. _

Ah, the return of our favorite ghost hunter. But who exactly is she hunting down this time, Danny or Evieor? You're probably tired of hearing this but, find out in chapter 11!


	11. Interference

_PLEASE READ:_

**_Hey guys! Sorry for the long update. I wasn't sure whether to put this chapter up this Friday or the next, but you have definitely earned this Friday. I know, I know, it's Sunday. For some reason, when I tried to log onto it wouldn't let me. I've been trying to get this fic up for a while, but no matter how many times I try to log in, it won't let me. Finally, today it works! So once again, I'm really sorry that you guys had to wait a few days extra._**

_BTW, I'm currently writing chapter 18 of "Fading Remembrance". This story is definitely going over 20 chapters. Check out my profile — I might put up some sneak peeks of future chapts._

_So anyway, lucky for you people, you won't be growing beards reading this chapter. It's kinda short. As you all know (well, those of you who read the sneak peek), Val's in this one. Yay! Another person to bug Danny. Poor kid._

_And before we go on with the fic, I would LOVE to thank my reviewers!_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny: **_You've already figured things out. LoL. Well, it's not surprise that things aren't going to end well in this chapter. You can always tell what might happen from the titles, if you think hard enough. Anyway, you're very welcome for the quick update last chapt. You guys deserve it. And thanks again!_

**dramaqueen07: **_Thank you very much. As you can see, the cliffhanger for the last chapter pretty much foreshadows that this one won't end well. Thanks a lot for the review. _

**JK rulez:**_ Yasu! (Hi in Greek) I'm glad that you're getting into this now . . . or are you just saying that to be nice? _:P_ Well anyway, yes something is wrong with Danny. He's in a pretty tough spot now. Evieor found out that DF was DP. And as for Valerie, she basically wants to get back at Danny. She also has something to do with the title. But exactly is going to happen now? Read and find out! And thanks for reviewing . . . again _:)

**Lost Demon Soul:**_ You think _this_ cliffhanger's bad? Oooh, just wait, my friend. They'll get worse . . . to a point where you'll want to stalk me with a bat at hand. . . . Note to self: Wear a helmet. Okay, you have helped reach the 5 reviews that will persuade me to update quicker. So, with no further ado, I present to you Chapter 11-Interference!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Ah, the fifth reviewer for this chapter. Congratulations, you and the four above have earned yourselves a quicker update! Yes, Kujo is awesome to a point of no extent. I can guarantee you'll be seeing him again. He's sort of become Danny's little pup. But how much longer will he remain in his room? And maybe it would be easier for Danny to reveal his secret . . . but then again think of how the people will react. Some who don't know him would consider him an evil child and then take it out on the Fentons and he would have a LOT of explaining to do. No to mention he'll have hurt Valerie's feelings a lot because then she wouldn't know which side of him was real (since she thinks one is evil and one is good). So yeah, things might not be easier on him either way. And don't worry, even though Dash might've seen something doesn't mean he has the brains to put two and two together and figure out who Danny really is. _

"Did Evieor find out Danny's secret or is he just talking to Danny because of the similar voices?" _Remember that comment I wrote above about Dash having no brains? Well, that kinda doesn't apply with Evieor. I mean we hate him, but it doesn't take long for him to put together the similarities of DF and DP — especially since Vlad let it slip that _**Jasmine was always looking out for her brother **(when they were talking about DP)_ at the end of Chapter 8. So to put it simply, he knows. _

"Is the "fear" your talking about his secret being revealed or his friends being in danger?"_ Ah, you are very smart. Not saying anymore. You'll see soon enough.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance **

Chapt 11- Interference

He knew . . .

Without thinking twice, Danny turned and ran as fast as he could. The smoke began to clear and the shadow flew out of the wall and took the form of Evieor. He smiled widely, revealing two sharp fangs, and then flew after him.

The bell rang and Danny, remaining human, ran through the walls of Casper High until he stepped onto nothing and began to fall. Evieor followed closely behind and flew down after him. He crossed his arms over and shouted:

"I'm going ghost!"

With that, two rings moved across his body and white hair, green eyes, and a black and white jumpsuit replaced his old look. Danny flew down and, just before he reached the ground, tilted his body and flew horizontally. Evieor followed, never taking his eyes off his prey.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Valerie Gray made her way through the crowd of students dashing out of Casper High. Her day went exceptionally well. No ghost attacks, A's on both of her exams, and no sign of Danny Phantom. She narrowed her eyes in anger. A whole month of no T.V., no cell phone, no parties, no hanging out with friends, and no computer. And it was all _his_ fault.

"You better hope I never find you, ghost kid," she muttered under her breath. Without warning, her cell phone began to ring and knocked her out of her thoughts. Valerie sighed and answered it.

"Hey Dad."

She stopped and leaned on the gate while her father spoke.

"I'm fine. How was work?"

There was another pause and Valerie scanned the skies for a certain white haired menace.

"Cool," she replied absentmindedly. "Yes, yes I know. Yeah. _I know._ I'll come straight home."

She hung up and stuck the phone in her bag. The look of annoyance was visible on her face as she separated from the rest of the students to head home. Suddenly, a blur of black and white sped through the air before her. Valerie's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed again.

"It's been a while."

On instinct, she clutched the strap on her bag and then realized what she was doing.

_And no ghost fighting. You are to come straight home,_ her father's voice echoed in her mind.

She looked at her watch and then back up at the ghost. He seemed to be fighting something else; something darker and taller.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I have to get this over with. The less there are, the better."

She pressed a button on her watch and a crimson jumpsuit with black circuit markings replaced her daily clothes. Reaching into her backpack, Valerie took out a small handgun and loaded it with a tube of red ectoplasmic energy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny fired two green beams from his eyes, but Evieor became intangible and laughed.

"You're still using green?" he asked. Danny took his laughter as mockery and fired another blast. Evieor became intangible again and raised his arms. When he brought them down, a wave of black energy followed and moved toward Danny. He recognized the attack as his copied energy-blade move.

"Still using black?" he retorted as he followed the same motion and created his own blue blade. The blasts connected, but instead of exploding on impact, Danny's pushed Evieor's back and easily broke through it. The ghost tried to form a shield, but he didn't move fast enough. The strong waves of blue energy crashed into him and flashed radiantly, sending him flying back through the air. He crossed his arms over his face to block the wind and stopped in midair.

"Where are my friends?" Danny asked. Evieor didn't reply. He regained his posture and then circled around the halfa.

"You honestly think I'm going to tell you?"

"If you wanted to make it easier on yourself," Danny replied as he clenched his hands into fists. His enemy was taken aback by this response.

"What happened to the weakling I fought several days ago? Did I knock some bravery into you?"

"I want my friends back," Danny said angrily. "And I don't care what I have to do to get to them!"

"You can forfeit," the ghost said. Obviously, he wasn't taking Danny's threats seriously.

"You wish," he said bitterly. The ghosts flew at each other and began thrusting various beams of energy. Sparks of black and green filled the sky above Casper High. Before long, people were screaming and running. The specters didn't let that distract them.

To Evieor's surprise, Danny was putting up a good fight. One attack after the other . . . He took a deep breath and then exhaled. Sharp pieces of ice soared through the air and Danny crossed his arms over his face on reflex and became intangible. Fortunately, the ice flew right through him, but Evieor wasn't finished.

He flew at full speed toward the halfa, but Danny saw him and raised his arms in defense. Their hands locked and each ghost tried to push the other back. Danny created another beam from his eyes and his enemy released him immediately and flew back before he was hit.

Danny had a perfect shot. Evieor was distracted and didn't have a chance to plan a defense. Just as he raised his hands to create an ectoplasmic blast, something hit him from behind and he was pushed forward.

"What the heck?"

"So, Danny Phantom finally returns. Where've you been all month?" an all-too-familiar voice asked. Danny gasped and looked up.

"Valerie," he whispered. "Get out of here! It's too dangerous."

Valerie ignored him and raised her weapon again. She fired and four red streaks of energy were released. He flew out of the way and then shot his own beam at the ecto-gun. It was thrust out of her hands, but she just grabbed another one.

"What did I do to you now?" he asked angrily. She came at the worst time.

"What haven't you done?" she yelled back. Danny evaded several more shots and then aimed for her flyer. She noticed and fired again. This time, he was caught off guard and got hit.

Evieor narrowed his eyes. Who was this girl? He had never seen her before, and yet, she was trying to take out Phantom as well.

Valerie aimed at Danny as he fell through the sky. One more hit would've had the battle wrapped up. She put a finger to the trigger, but an anonymous black flame of energy knocked the ecto-gun out of her hands.

"Hey! What gives?"

"This is my fight," Evieor warned. "Stay out of it."

"You just made it my fight, too," she snapped angrily, taking out two thin cylindrical items from the sides of her flyer. Red blades extended from each side and she began swinging them at Evieor. He created a blast, but she held the rods out in front of her and they absorbed the attack.

"I wouldn't do that," she warned. "The more power these rods take in, the more it'll hurt when I use them on you."

"Then let's get rid of them, shall we?"

He flew at her and snatched the energy rods out of her hands. Valerie only saw a blur. Before she could move, he swung them down again. She screamed and held her arms over her head, but for some reason, nothing happened.

She looked up and saw Danny Phantom pushing both rods back. His eyes were shut tightly and he seemed to be focusing all of his strength on what he was doing.

Valerie flew out of the way and, when she had a clear shot of both of them from above, loaded another weapon. She raised it for a better shot, but the sun's light reflected against the metal. Evieor saw the gleam and released the rods. He fired a blast at her. She tilted her flyer upward so that the blast hit it rather than her.

The impact, however, caused her to fall off backwards and head for the ground headfirst. Evieor flew past Danny and toward her, but she lifted her head and saw him coming.

Valerie raised her weapon, but she didn't see the sharp branches she was about to fall into. Danny's eyes widened.

"Valerie, NO!"

He flew toward her as well and she fired. Evieor caught the blast and sent it right back. Danny sped up and reached her just in time to take the hit.

Her flyer targeted her and flew down. She grabbed onto it and pulled herself up, but Danny continued to fall. Evieor chased after him, and she went after them both.

Growing tired of the constant interferences, he looked back up and fired at her again. She dodged the attack and flew faster. Evieor sped up to a point where he was practically a blur and held out his hand. Valerie looked closer and noticed that it was purple.

"You're not winning this fight," she muttered and took out another item. This time, she aimed a little behind Danny. By the time Evieor reached that spot, the missile hit him and pushed him over. He regained balance immediately, but Valerie had already caught up and snatched Danny from right under him.

She pulled the weakened ghost onto the flyer and flew back up. Danny sat up and put a hand to his shoulder. Valerie almost always managed to hit him there. She noticed that he was starting to get up and reached into her pocket.

"You're not going anywhere, ghost. I'm not done with you."

"Wait! Listen to me — agh!"

A small silver ball with three extendable claws on each side took hold of his torso and shocked him. He tried pulling it off, but there was no use. He fell back down at her feet and the ball released him. She picked it up and pocketed it again.

"That should hold you for a while."

"Let me guess, paralysis," he said knowingly. Sure enough, he began to lose all feeling in his body.

"I guess this happens to you often, huh?"

"You have no idea," he said bitterly.

"I don't know why this spook is after you, but I _do_ know he's not getting you."

It didn't really matter to Danny. Either way, he was trapped.

"Listen, can we call a truce?" he asked. Valerie glared at him.

"When you earn it," she replied. Danny tried moving his limbs, but his effort was useless.

"What do I have to do to earn your trust? Save your life another twenty times? Fine—"

"You never saved my life! You and your stupid mutt tried to ruin it. I never did anything to you!"

"He's not my mutt! He's yours actually. His collar has the Axion symbol. He used to guard Axion labs."

Valerie had nothing to say to that.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way, but if you think back, I never really did anything intentionally."

"I _am_ thinking back, and all I see is a jerk who keeps randomly messing with me until he's at my mercy and then begs for forgiveness. You're as shallow as you are transparent."

Danny didn't like where this was going. Valerie obviously had a very different view than he did about their past meetings.

"I'm not shallow! I've been trying to help you! You just see everything differently—"

"Save it, ghost."

Suddenly, she shouted and fell back. Evieor must've done something to her. He wasn't far behind. She picked up her dropped weapon and aimed it, but he knocked it out of her hands.

"You have one chance. Give me the boy!"

"Or you'll do what?"

Before waiting for a reply, she tossed the silver ball at him. It wrapped around him the same way it did to Danny. However, Evieor didn't find the shock painful. Valerie flew higher into the air, but this time, he didn't follow.

Growing impatient at the constant interferences, he raised his head and shouted loud enough for all of Amity Park to hear:

"I came to this town seeking one thing. My first objective was to be inconspicuous and leave you all out of it. But day after day my plans have failed due to constant intervening. You have tested my patience, and now, I will stop at _nothing_ to get what I came here for — even if that means destroying all of Amity Park while I'm at it!"

Large waves of black energy revolved around him. Valerie felt the vibration, even from the sky. The ground beneath him began to crack.

"No!" Danny shouted. He wanted to break free and stop Evieor from doing whatever he had planned, but the paralysis was still in effect. "He'll destroy the town. Just throw me to him."

"What?" she asked disbelievingly. "Are you out of your min—?"

"Do it!" he interrupted.

"And then what'll happen? You think I'm stupid? What if he continues with the attack anyway? It'll be the same except I won't have the satisfaction of knowing _I'm_ the one who destroyed you."

Evieor roared loudly and the energy revolving around him suddenly expanded as if though some invisible force pushed it all away. In a few seconds, there was nothing around him but destroyed land.

The citizens of Amity Park were running as fast as their feet could carry them. The only few people standing on the streets were the news reporters, but even they maintained their distance.

Valerie eyes filled with fear. Danny cried out in fury.

"Listen to me! It's the only way to stop him."

"I won't do it!" she yelled back, but she showed more concern than anger when she said it. Danny expression softened. Why did she care what happened to him?

"Why not?" he asked. She bit her lip and stood up.

"I can't . . ."

He moved his fingers and was able to clench them into fists. His upper body was starting to move again so he sat up. Valerie was shaking slightly. She knew she could stop him, but something held her back. Danny looked up at her.

"Do it for Fenton," he said. Her head shot up immediately and she turned around.

"What did you say?"

"He's down there and—"

"—Don't you dare speak of him," Valerie warned. She pressed her weight to one side of the flyer and changed its course. She was flying back . . . straight into Evieor.

"What are you doing!"

She flew around the ghost and headed straight for town. Danny stood up (barely) and flew off the flyer. He had to find Sam and Tuck, no matter what it took.

Several town alarms began to ring and the words GHOST ALERT were flashing on the giant plasma screen TV set up for public view. Several cameras were set up around town, but they were modified to target ghosts and show them on the screen. In a few seconds, Evieor would be on it. And maybe Danny too. He had to get out of there immediately, and he knew just where to go.

"Ghost shield! Where's the ghost shield?" Jack yelled frantically.

"I checked the roof. It's missing," Maddie said. "Quick, to the Weapons Vault!"

They ran to the stairs leading to the basement, but Danny beat them to it. He flew past them, ignoring their surprised reactions, and went straight into the Ghost Zone. Once inside the ghostly realm, all sirens and shouts were muted. For once, he was happy to be here. Well, until he took in the sights anyway.

There must've been hundreds of doors floating before him. He flew deeper into the Ghost Zone, wondering where to begin his search.

"This could take a while . . ."

* * *

_And so it begins. C-H-A-O-S in Amity Park, again. Evieor's no longer trying to avoid attention from the citizens. He's mad and now he's stopping at nothing to get what he wants. Whining little brat. Let's just hope he and Vlad stop talking for a while before ideas come to him and the rumors become reality. :( Yikes._

Chapt 12- Falling

**Sneak Peek**

_As if though she suddenly gained the ability to fly, Sam felt herself rising up above him and then he wrapped his arms around her. All of her worries faded away and she felt a strange warmth rise in her face. Suddenly, the floor seemed to be miles away, and she wanted to keep falling . . . in his arms . . . falling together . . ._

_Danny began to loosen his grip and she gasped. Then, just as quickly, he held onto her again. She hugged him back and he released her once more._

_Sam began to panic, but this time, he didn't tighten his grip. _

"_Danny!" she screamed. He was too heavy. She was slowly losing her hold of him. "Danny, wha—?"_


	12. Falling

_Whoa, okay. Lots to say. Number one, new DP today! (According to the Channel Guide) It's Double Cross My Heart. Yes! So, yeah, new episode and new chapter. _

_Number two, I'm up to writing chapter 19 of Fading Remembrance and let me tell you, things start to get REALLY tough for Danny there. **More summaries, info + sneak peeks in my profile (bottom) **I'm even getting into writing it. Oh yes, you're gonna hurt me for one of the cliffhangers, but that's okay. _

_Number 3, updates will be A LOT faster now, so expect to see a new chapter about every other day or maybe 3 days (I'll probably update thrice a week). So get your snacks ready. _

_Number 4, whoever was curious about what's going on with Danny and his friends, you'll see more of that in this chapter and the next. _

_Number 5, slight hints of DS in this chapter. _

_Number 6, I'm putting up a list of my reviewers in one of the upcoming chapters, but I don't know which it'll be. Please review, I LOVE reviews. Just like it'll take me a few minutes to put up the list, it'll take you a few seconds to write a review. Thanks again to my readers and reviewers!_

_Number 7, onto the reviews!_

**JK rulez:**_ I'm so glad to hear that you're liking this. Trust me, the plot really gets thick later on. I don't why, but I usually write the most interesting things at the end. I should get out of that habit. I guess it's because I use the beginning building up the plot, and the end is usually the big finale. But anyway, yeh, sneak peek of two future chapters up in my profile if you wanna check it out. And thank you very much for reviewing every chapter of this story. It is MUCH appreciated. _

_Oh yes, before I forget . . . I checked out your profile recently and saw your new top 10 list. You have no idea how far my jaw dropped when I saw Amity's Hero as number 1 and Fading Remembrance as number 5. So I would like to tell you right now that it REALLY means A LOT to me and thank you, thank you, thank you!_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny: **_Evieor is VERY destructive, yes. But it gets worse later on cuz now, someone else is joining the fight. Find out who in the sneak peek (profile) if you want. And yes, Danny is in the Ghost Zone. Never in a million years would I ever think he'd be safe there, but I guess this is an exception. LoL, nah, trouble lurks there as well. Poor Danny, I 'm so mean to the poor kid. Oh yes, if you didn't read the notice above, my updates will be very soon. You guys definitely deserve it for making me happy with your reviews. THANK YOU!_

**Lost Demon Soul:**_ Yes, the cliffhangers get worse my friend. Especially the one in chapter . . . well, you can wait. LoL, yes you must hate me now. Evil XxMWxX eh? Bring it on! I'm ready! _(raises head above wall of pillows — holding a spoon in one hand and holding a helmet on head with the other_) Heh heh heh OH! What are you gonna do now? Eh? Eh? Okay, anyway, updates are going to be very soon now. HA! You can't hurt me. I just gave you good news. Also, I wrote this above many times, but there are two sneak peeks in my profile (bottom) if you want to check them out. Oh yes, and thank you for taking five seconds to write a review. It always makes me happy to read a review _:) _So thank you!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Please . . . Valerie listening? Pshhhh . . . well, she's gonna have to sooner or later. Not saying anymore about that. As for your reference to that silver thing that you saw in "Public Enemies", I agree. Now that I think about it, it does look very similar, except there's no wire attached. If you haven't read the notice above, there are two sneak peeks in my profile (bottom) — each for a different chapter for FR. So feel free to check it out. I like your reviews. There's always a question. It's like the story's being interviewed. It's fun. Okay, to your question._

Danny's looking for Wulf's door isn't he?_ Not quite. He's looking for something, but it's not Wulf's door. Okay, I won't be mean. I'll give you a hint. **a)**__Remember in chapter 1, Wulf told Danny that he would come help if Danny needed help? So Danny doesn't really have to go looking for Wulf. Wulf will come to him. **b)** At the end of chapter 10, Danny found out that Sam and Tucker didn't ditch him — Also, at the end of chapter 8, Evieor and Ember made a plan to do something about Danny's friends and then at the end of chapter 9, we saw a glimpse of Ember when Sana escaped. Hint hint! So what really happened to Sam and Tucker? Danny's going to find out._

**THANK YOU MY REVIEWERS! I'll have the list coming soon **(for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, read the notice above)

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 12- Falling

He should've used the spectre speeder. It would easily be able to detect them. Several doors opened and ghosts poked their head through.

"Do you feel that?" one of them asked.

"Yes, I sense something bad. Perhaps there is chaos in the human world? I had the same feeling about a month ago when Plasmius was still around," another said. Danny stopped flying and looked up at them.

"Did any of you see a Goth and a kid with a red beret?" he asked. "One was wearing black and the other was wearing yellow and green . . ."

The ghosts turned their attention to him, but no one spoke.

"They went that way," a voice told him from behind. He turned around and saw Desiree. She didn't look too happy. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"How can I be sure you're not lying to me?"

"I'm in no position to lie to anyone," she snapped. "I refused to give him my power and now I'm considered one of his enemies. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

Danny knew exactly who she was referring to.

"Why doesn't someone just wish for you to get rid of him?" he asked. She shook her head and sighed.

"The other halfa short circuited my powers," she said angrily. "I'm completely defenseless."

_The other halfa?_

"Plasmius is here?"

"Yes! Take heed; he lurks in the shadows of Evieor. He is hiding!"

The shadows of Evieor? What did she mean by that?

"Shadows of Evieor?" he asked. Her only visible eye widened.

"You do not remember? You fought them a few days ago. Everyone in the Ghost Zone heard about that."

"What are you talking about?"

And then it hit him. Evieor's shadows, the ones with the fangs. They must've been on his side since he was able to steal a power from them.

"He's creating an army of shadow ghosts?"

Desiree shook her head.

"For now, there is no army. All he is doing is seeking you. Every ghost that gave him a power or is willing to assist him is just there. He never summoned them. Not yet . . ."

"There might be one soon," Danny muttered. "He already found out I'm half ghost. And he's tired of the fact that I always manage to escape. He's bringing all of Amity Park into chaos. It won't be long before he reaches the Ghost Zone."

"So get out!" she yelled. "Before we are all put in danger!"

"And then what?" he shouted back. "He destroys me and then there's no one standing in his way. He'll do whatever he wants, and that includes taking over the Ghost Zone. It's only a matter of time before Vlad gives him the idea to summon his allies and create another ghost army. So we should beat him to it. If you want to get rid of him, we have to be prepared. We have to gather our own army."

"But who will help you? In case you haven't noticed, almost every ghost here is your enemy."

"But they must be Evieor's enemies as well if they're not helping him. Most of them probably refused to give him their powers. That means if Evieor succeeds and destroys me, they'll be next on his list. Who do you fear more? Him or me?"

Desiree thought about it for a second. They all feared Evieor, but if Evieor thought Danny was the only one standing in his way, then obviously he must be a threat as well.

"Ok, look. If Evieor wins he'll destroy _everything_."

She waited a while and then said, "I'll gather them up and tell them of your plans. If they wish to join you . . ."

She sighed.

"Then there will indeed be another ghost war."

With that, she flew off, leaving Danny more worried than before. But there was no way to avoid it.

He went back to his search and headed in the direction she had pointed out. To his surprise, the Ghost Zone was nearly empty. Doors remained shut and there was no sign of any of his enemies. Could that mean they were in Amity already? He shook his head and muttered, "No."

After a few minutes of flying, two giant castle doors appeared. There were large statues of dragons by the entrance and he assumed it was Aragon's castle. Sam had been there once before. Maybe they were here . . .

He became human, and fell through the doors.

"Sam, Tucker?"

His voice echoed against the walls lining the vast hall. Statues of dragons were aligned against the walls. He walked further and reached a door at the end. Without hesitating, he phased through it and looked around at the second room. It must've been at least ten times larger than the hall. Once again, the same statues were circled around.

There were stairs leading to the upper floor. Danny ran to them and climbed up. For some reason, it wasn't supposed to be this easy. He paused every few seconds to make sure no one was behind him.

"Sam! Tucker!" he called again. Still no reply. He stopped at the second floor, but the doors were all locked and he couldn't hear voices from inside. He continued climbing until the fourth floor. Panting heavily, Danny sat down to rest.

He heard footsteps and listened carefully.

"The order was given, Prince Aragon. The ghost kid escaped once again."

"Why am I not surprised?" the prince replied. "Where is he now?"

"He doesn't know. There was another interference and he flew away. I don't think he's coming for them."

Danny pressed his ear to the door. "Coming for who?" he whispered.

"We were given permission to get rid of them," the first voice said.

"I don't need permission to do anything. _I _do whatever _I_ want when _I _please," Aragon roared. "Guards, kill them."

Danny stepped away from the door just as it opened. About ten ghosts heavily suited in armor sprinted out of the room and climbed the stairs to the next floor. Fortunately, they didn't see Danny.

He peeked into the room and saw the familiar face of the arrogant Prince Aragon. There were many more guards surrounding him. For some reason, they all stayed in this room.

He pushed the door open a little more and saw about five skeletal figures (also dressed in armor) running with weapons. There was a scream and his eyes widened. _Sam!_

They all raised their weapons at once and prepared to strike. She tried to break free, but two more ghosts were holding her from behind. She screamed again, this time yelling, "Tucker!"

"NO!" Danny yelled. He pushed the door open and ran inside. Aragon and several of the guards turned to him.

"Halt! _Stop him!_" the prince demanded at once. Danny continued running and until he was directly in front of Sam. He stopped two axes with his hands, but the side of the third hit him in the rib. He cried out in pain and let go.

"Danny?"

He didn't turn around. Ghosts were flying around them with arrows in their bows.

"Fire!" one commanded. The arrows were released and headed straight for them. Danny's first thought was to become intangible and phase through them, but he noticed Sam behind him. She was in human form too, but for some reason, she didn't make herself intangible.

He took a deep breath and then yelled. Waves of green energy appeared from his mouth and shattered the arrows in midair. He continued to scream, throwing back all of the guards as well.

Aragon drew out his sword and prepared to attack Danny while his concentration was focused on the other ghosts. Sam noticed and cried, "Danny!"

Aragon raised the sword and ran at the halfa. He turned around but didn't have a chance to block the attack. The blade almost made contact with his face, but two green hands grabbed it and pushed it back. Aragon gritted his teeth and pushed the sword forward, but his opponent persistently held it back.

"Dora, what do you think you are doing?" he hissed. His sister didn't reply. Instead, she took in a deep breath and then blew fire from her mouth. He screamed and jumped back. Dora took the sword and plunged it into the wall. After making sure it was stuck, she turned back to her brother.

"Back off, Brother. Leave them be."

"Insolent brat. Get out of my way!"

"I don't think so," she replied.

"Then I'll make you!" Aragon hissed. The emblem on his necklace flashed, but she remained where she was.

"I'd like to see you try," Dora shot back. Before he could complete his transformation, she pulled the sword out of the wall and threw it. It hit the crest and shattered it. Aragon's claws and fangs retracted and his tail disappeared. He fell to his knees and cried out in frustration.

Dora clenched her fists and rose into the air. Her necklace flashed as well and, in less than three seconds, a blue dragon stood where she was. It crouched down on all fours and roared.

Danny fired two ectoplasmic beams from his eyes that hit both of Sam's captors. She stepped away and he turned back to her.

"Come on."

But just as he grabbed her wrist, an electric shock went through him. He let go immediately and waved his hand in the air.

"_What was that?_" he asked, thinking she did it on purpose.

She raised both hands to reveal two golden rings crossing over each other on each wrist.

"These prevent me from using my human advantages to escape. They also don't allow anything non-ghost to touch me."

"So take them off. We have to get out of here, now!"

"I tried!" Sam told him, getting aggravated. Her temper ceased immediately when she looked into his eyes. He was definitely concerned. But why?

_Why'd you come back for me,_ she wanted to ask.

"I think only Aragon or Dora can remo—"

There was a sudden scream and the prince went flying across the room. Dora blew more fire from her mouth, but he ran out of the way and it disintegrated the wall instead, leaving a large hole.

"Dora! I need he—"

She began, but one of the guards fired an arrow that caught onto her suit and pinned her to one of the dragon statues. Danny started running to her, but the pain in his ribs didn't let him get past two steps. He clutched his wound and fell to his knees.

"Danny!" Sam cried. He didn't respond. She was beginning to worry. He was hurt. "Look out!"

Danny didn't turn around. He forced himself to stand up and looked up at her. She pulled the arrow out of the statue and freed herself, but stone began to crack. She looked up and screamed. It was falling.

He jumped forward and caught it just in time.

"Get out of here!" he ordered. "While they're distracted."

"Not without you," she replied stubbornly.

"I thought you hated me," he said back, but she didn't respond.

Guilt washed over the Goth. He didn't mean it, but those words struck her hard. Here he was, injured and still trying to save her life, even though he still believed she didn't like him. But he didn't know how she really felt.

Sam stepped back and Danny let go of the broken statue and jumped out of the way. It crashed onto the floor and he covered his head as small pieces of rock rolled around the floor.

"Go ghost!" she said. "Hurry!"

Danny closed his eyes and transformed.

"We have to get out of here. I'm getting tired," he mumbled.

"Hang in there. We have to find Tucker."

"The room is too heavily guarded," Dora told them. She was starting to get weak. Armed skeletons were all over her. Sam looked around. Guards were everywhere, except . . .

"We're gonna have to jump," she said to Danny. He stared at her wide-eyed.

"JUMP? Are you crazy? You still have those rings and I'm in ghost form. We can't fall through the ground, you know."

"Relax, you can fly. And we can circle the castle from the outside and see where Tucker is."

The guards surrounded them. Sam nudged Danny.

"It's the only way," she whispered. Danny sighed, grabbed her hand, and began to run. The ghosts followed. Several arrows were shot, but they missed. More guards came from the front and blocked the hole Dora had made in the wall with her fight with Aragon. Danny held up his free hand and fired enough ectoplasmic blasts to clear their way. They reached the wall and stepped on the edge of the castle floor.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Just jump—"

"Look out!" Dora yelled. They turned around and saw a guard beside Danny. He swung a steel staff at them before they had a chance to move. It hit the side of Danny's head and he stumbled back.

"Danny!" Sam screamed. He was still holding her hand and she fell back with him. They slipped off the edge and right out of the castle. He opened his eyes and gasped.

The wind hit his back roughly as they continued to fall, but he never let go of Sam's hand. Danny gritted his teeth together and, with all his strength, pulled her up above him. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

Reaching the ground was no longer his concern. She was safe now in his arms, and he was going to break her fall. Danny's eyes began to droop and his mind was becoming unclear as his consciousness slowly began to slip away. His grip loosened and, forcing himself to stay awake for a few more seconds, he pulled Sam closer and embraced her tightly. She held onto him as well as he closed his eyes and leaned back.

Sam held her breath and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. Did they jump or fall? She was pretty sure it was the latter since she ended up falling with her back facing the ground under Danny, who refused to let go of her hand. She still couldn't help but wonder why he returned.

As if though she suddenly gained the ability to fly, Sam felt herself rising up above him and then he wrapped his arms around her. All of her worries faded away and she felt a strange warmth rise in her face. Suddenly, the floor seemed to be miles away, and she wanted to keep falling . . . in his arms . . . falling together . . .

Danny began to loosen his grip and she gasped. Then, just as quickly, he held onto her again. She hugged him back and he released her once more.

Sam began to panic, but this time, he didn't tighten his grip.

"Danny!" she screamed. He was too heavy. She was slowly losing her hold of him. "Danny, wha—?"

She looked at him and froze. His eyes were closed and his body was bent slightly back. He was either unconscious or . . .

That hit to the head must've knocked him out. Other than that, he was fine, she kept telling herself. Two blue rings formed around his waist and Sam felt the light go through her as it traveled up his torso.

_He's just unconscious,_ she thought again. _Nothing else._

"Danny, go ghost!" she yelled, knowing very well that he could not hear her. They were nearing the ground . . .

Sam looked around desperately for something to break their fall. There were a few trees below them. A long and thick branch was jutting out from one of them and she stretched out her hand. Danny slipped from her remaining hand and she quickly grabbed his arm.

She closed her fist around the branch and held her breath again. Between trying to hold herself up and trying to pull Danny back up, she too felt herself growing weak.

"Danny, please, wake up," she said through clenched teeth. He did not respond. With much effort, she managed to get him back in her arm. There was a crack from above and Sam gasped and looked up. The branch was breaking and they were still too high to land safely.

With a final snap, she felt herself rushing through the air again. Unfortunately, they were falling too fast for her to pull Danny up and he remained beneath her. He was going to break the fall, unless . . .

Thinking quickly, Sam pointed the branch vertically at the ground and, to her relief, it hit the floor with a loud thud and dug into it as well. Her fingers slid off of it and, as Danny had planned, he was the first to hit the ground and she landed safely on him.

He rolled over slightly and landed on his side while she landed on her stomach. Sam got off of him and sat down. She found it impossible for a person's heart to beat as fast as hers was right now. Breathing heavily, she fell back onto the grass and looked up at the sky. The enormous castle was high above them. The wall they fell through was barely visible.

The tired Goth closed her eyes and turned her head. Danny was lying right beside her, breathing softly. He was okay . . .

She couldn't help but smile at what just happened. She had fallen before after Plasmius dropped her, but Danny pulled through. The thrill of falling through the air amused her. Somehow, she managed to always escape those narrow predicaments. Danny was always the reason why. . .

Thoughts floated around in Sam's mind as she recalled the incident that just occurred. He risked his life for her. He knew he was going to lose consciousness, and he still pulled her up to protect her. All anger toward the halfa subsided as she visualized herself in his arms . . .

Then, as fast as she had forgiven him, the warm and comforting feeling in her heart was replaced with fear. Tucker was still in there and she had no way of getting him out.

Sam forced herself to stand up, but her legs gave away and she found herself on her hands and knees. She was too exhausted to move any further.

"Tucker," Sam mumbled weakly.

She closed her eyes and lay down beside Danny, and together they rested under the darkening azure sky.

_Okay, who hates me? That wasn't a bad cliffhanger at all, though. Should I give you a sneak peek of chapter 13? Hmmmm, eh why not?_

Chapt 13- Forming Alliances

**Sneak Peek**

_Curiosity getting the better of him, Danny flew up to the ninth floor to check it out. There was just one memory that wouldn't escape his mind. The dance with Sam . . ._

_He flew in through the thick glass window (which replaced the wall and showed a full view of the outside world) and stepped into the vast and dark room. If it hadn't been for the light outside, it would've been pitch black. The black floor was tiled and smooth. In fact, he could almost see his reflection perfectly when he looked down. He took a few steps further in and looked around. There was nothing, and yet, he heard _something

_He continued walking deeper in until it was so dark that the green glow from his eyes actually became visible. And that wasn't good. _

_There was a faint clicking sound somewhere in the distance and his heart skipped a beat. Someone was there with him. But he couldn't see . . ._


	13. Forming Alliances

_Hey! Quick update today. Okay, just a heads-up, this is pretty much where the conflicts begin. The second ghost war is approaching. Actually, I guess you can say it's sort of begun already. There's not a lot of action I this chapter. Actually, I doubt there's any. But don't worry. Plenty coming up in chapter 14. I'll probably update 14 either tomorrow or Wednesday. It depends on review count._

_One more thing, last chance to see the sneak peeks in my profile before I take them off. I'm removing them shortly after I put this chapter up. _

_And with that said, let's head onto my wonderful reviewers._

**JK rulez: **_Okay, first let me congratulate you. Once again, you are the first person to have reviewed the chapter (you usually are — about 90 of the time). I'm glad you enjoyed chapter 12. As for Tucker, well, you'll have to read to find out what happened with him. I think this story will have 20 – 21 chapters. I didn't plan for it to be that long, but new ideas came to me so I added that and now you'll have a lot more action to read. That excludes thios chapter. Chapt 13 doesn't have action, but it leads to the action-packed chapter 14. (I had a preview of it about a month ago in my profile. I don't know if you read it or not Anyway, thanks once again for the review. I have concluded that you are almost always online. Either that or you have really good timing to always be online the exact moment I put up my chapters.  
_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny: **_Wow, your review flattered me. I'm really glad you enjoyed the action in chapter 12. Sadly, this chapter doesn't really have action, but Chapt 14 is loaded with it. If you read above, I'm either putting it up tomorrow or Wed. Oh and, as for the lack of Evieor in that chapter, it's normal. He's going to be absent for a few chapters (not many) but Danny will still have many problems to face. Evieor will appear when the time is 'right' for him . . . and until then, Sam, Danny, and Tucker better prepare themselves for the oncoming . . . um . . . yeah, I shouldn't ruin it for you. Heh, lower the bat, I've got my pillow wall. You can't hurt me! Speaking of which, I better protect myself. I left a mean little cliffhanger at the end. Don't read ahead! Or you won't know what's going on at all. Thanks again for the review!_

**Ohka Breynekai: **_It's okay that you haven't reviewed in a while. I know how it is to be busy. It's a good thing I wrote this fic beforehand or I wouldn't have had a chance to write it now and I'd still be stuck on chapter 6 with the updates. But since I wrote almost all of it before, I can just write the review responses, the author's notes in the beginning and end, and add a few comments and then post it. Anyway, back to the review. I'm SO happy that you view this fic as 'amazing 'and that you love it. You guys earned yourselves the quick updates. Oh and sorry, plenty more cliffhangers to come. (Evil cackle)_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Expect a lot of unexpected things from this fic. The twists are what make it interesting . . . and unexpected. LoL. Yes, poor Danny and Sam . . . falling . . . together . . . in each others' arms. Actually, if you think about it like that, the landing wasn't really so bad. At least they had an enjoyable fall to even it out. And now, of course, onto the questionnaire: _

How did Aragon get back his amulet? I thought that Dora took it from him._ She did, but he's the prince and he's working with Evieor — which means he's working with Vlad, Ember, Skulker, etc. I'm sure they might've had something to do with it. Who knows, he might return later on with another one. Now, Dora's got to watch out. If hers is taken, she won't be able to get another one. But fortunately, she can kick butt, so we needn't worry about that. Any other confusions about the fic, just ask away. I'll be sure to answer for you. And thanks for the review!_

All right, everyone! Enjoy chapt 13! Once again, it doesn't have action, but chapter 14 does. With enough reviews, I can update tomorrow.

* * *

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 13- Forming Alliances

"How long has he been out?"

"A few hours. I—"

She paused and Danny heard her moving slightly. He groaned and opened his eyes. Sam and Tucker were looking at him anxiously.

"Dude, you're awake!" Tucker exclaimed. Danny stared back at him incredulously. They didn't seem mad at all . . .

"Wha—? How'd you—? Where are we?" he asked, finally finding the right words. Tucker moved back to give Danny room to sit up. Sam was beside him on the couch. Her hand went immediately from his shoulder to her knee once he was sitting upright. He looked around and noticed that Star was in the room as well.

"Star? What're you do—?"

"Why didn't you ever tell us Star knew?" Tucker interrupted, sounding offended.

"I tried," Danny defended, catching on immediately. "But I never got the chance. Now can someone tell me what's going on?"

"You passed out," Sam said. "And when we reached the floor, I did too. When I woke up, we were in here. You were still asleep though."

Danny turned to Tucker, hoping for a more detailed story. He paused to think and then nodded and began.

"I remember being in Aragon's castle. He separated me from Sam. I tried reaching my phone to contact you but my hands were in chains. We stayed there for the night and in the afternoon of the next day, a group of guards came to my room. They looked ready to kill, but I, of course being the brave one—"

"He shrieked," Star said nonchalantly. "Very loudly might I add." Tucker scowled. She walked to the center of the room and continued. "I broke into the room with the Spectre Speeder, rescued him, and then looked for Sam. I found her outside the castle, but we never expected to find _you_ right beside her. We managed to escape the Ghost Zone in one piece though."

"Barely," Tucker mumbled.

"But how'd you know we —_ they_ were in there?" Danny asked. Suddenly, looks of dread became visible on their faces. All three of them looked down. Danny's head began to fill with fearful thoughts. What happened while he was gone? He was almost afraid to ask.

"W-What happened?" he practically choked out. "Where is everyone? _Tell me!_"

Star took a deep breath and muttered, "I knew something was wrong. I saw what was happening and then something linked in my mind. Sam and Tucker disappeared just before, so I figured they were taken, and there was only one place to look for them. So I went, and that's how I found you."

He turned to Sam and Tuck who still wore the same expressions.

"What are you guys talking about? What happened? Are you okay?"

"No, not after the way we acted towards you," Tucker said, obviously trying to change the subject. Danny wanted to change it back, but his friend's words prevented him from doing so.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"And you still came back for us. Why?" Tucker asked. Danny didn't reply. He didn't quite know why himself. It was out of concern, really.

"I made a promise," he finally said. "Friends or not, I promised to help anyone who needed me, remember?"

Sam smiled weakly and stood up. Danny thought she was going to walk away, but instead she leaned forward and embraced him. His eyes widened. It's been a while since he last enjoyed her touch. Tucker smirked and Danny realized he was smiling slightly. The Goth released him and stepped back.

"For a minute, I didn't think it was you who really came. My first thought was Ember's clone," she said. "To be honest, I didn't even think you realized we were missing."

"Ember's clone," he repeated in a whisper. And then it hit him. "_Ember's clone!_ It was her!" he practically shouted.

"What're you talking about?" she asked. "What was her?"

"Don't you get it? She was using the clone! That's how she got us into that stupid fight. The clone said those things to you. Not me."

Sam and Tucker looked at each other with sudden realization. Star looked back and forth between them.

"Uh . . ."

"Danny, I am so—" Sam began.

"Me too," Tucker cut her off.

"Me three," Danny said somewhat shamefully. "I shouldn't have gotten frustrated at you for my ghost problems."

"Here's an idea. How about we blame this all on Ember?" Star suggested. "And save us the mushy sentimental junk."

The three smiled and turned back to each other. Danny noticed the golden rings around Sam's wrists and walked over to her. He took her hands and, with much effort, tried to pull them off. Tucker held her back while he pulled and after two minutes of struggling, they slipped off and fell to the floor. Sam rubbed her wrists and thanked them.

"So what now?" Star asked. "You three are friends again and—"

"School!" Danny shouted when he thought back to earlier that day. Jazz was gonna kill him. He didn't realize that it ended when Evieor met him in the hall. He grabbed his bag and made his way toward the door, but Tucker ran in front of him and blocked his way.

"Relax, Danny. The schools have been closed. And it ended for today anyway."

"Closed? Why are they closed?"

Star bit her lip and returned to staring at the floor. Tucker had a blank expression on his face. He didn't say anything, but seemed to be thinking of a way to change the topic again.

"Before we tell you, are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked and she walked over to the windows. The curtains were closed over them for some reason. Danny nodded.

"You might want to sit—"

"_Sam . . ._"

She took a deep breath and pulled them back. Immediately, Danny's jaw dropped and his bag slipped out of his hand. At that moment, he wanted to turn time back a few seconds and prevent her from doing what she just did.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Valerie sat on her bed with her arms folded around her knees. She was taking long deep breaths and kept shaking her head. She didn't know whether to be angry right now or guilty.

"Stupid ghost!" she said through clenched teeth. "Why did I fall for it?"

He told her to throw him down to Evieor and, at the time, she really did believe he wanted to help. But it was all a trick. He just said that to make her think he cared. But where was he now? She didn't sacrifice him, thinking he would assist her. But when given the chance, he fled.

". . . Like the coward you are," she muttered angrily to no one. "And it's all my fault."

She looked back at the window and shook slightly. The sky was blood red scattered with thick clouds. Most of the ground was destroyed and people were jumping over large crevices to get to shelter. Fire hydrants were destroyed and water was splashing from them. Cars were scattered around the streets, some of which were turned over. And waves of black energy were showering all around and destroying things in their path.

What had she done? If it hadn't been for her stubbornness, her new enemy would've gotten the ghost, gotten rid of him, and left. And then both of her problems would be solved.

"And here's Shelley Makamoto reporting live from the studio to give us a heads-up on the disaster that has suddenly hit Amity Park."

Valerie turned her attention to the small T.V. beside her bed.

"Good Evening; this is Shelley Makamoto reporting Ghost Watch: Day One as our once humble town is once again thrust into chaos. So far, all that is known about the sudden attack is that it started earlier this afternoon near the outskirts of town. The reasons why are still unclear, but it looks like this catastrophe is far from over."

In a wave of fury, Valerie grabbed the remote, turned the T.V. off, tossed it aside, and got off her bed. She stomped over to the bag at the foot of her bed and picked it up.

"No it's not," she snarled. "I started this, and I'm gonna finish it. And you're going down with him," she said fiercely to the picture of the infamous ghost boy hanging on her wall.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"_What have I done?_" Danny choked.

"Danny, you're getting paranoid," Sam said, trying to get his hands off his head.

"Seriously, it's not like you haven't seen this before," Tucker said, obviously not making things better.

"And once was enough!"

He paced around the room, muttering to himself. Sam and Tucker looked at each other with concern and then turned back to Danny.

"We need Wulf," he said. "Any ally we can get."

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking . . ." Tucker began.

"We're going to have to team up with a few enemies that haven't joined Evieor. And that includes Valerie."

At this, both Sam and Tucker's eyes practically bulged out of their heads.

"WHAT!" they screamed in unison.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sam snapped. "Save Evieor the trouble, why don't you?" she said sarcastically.

"Valerie?" Star asked. "Valerie Gray?"

"She's not going to hurt me," Danny assured, ignoring Star. Sam snorted.

"So you think. And then when you have your back turned—"

"She spared me before," Danny shouted above her. Sam stopped speaking and listened. "Just trust me."

"I _do_ trust you. It's her I don't trust. Danny, you should know her by now. She's constantly going on and off on whether she likes you or not. You don't know what goes through her mind. She could be hunting you down this very second."

"I highly doubt that," Danny replied. Sam opened her mouth to retort, but he held up his hands and said, "Listen, I'll ask for her help, and we'll see where it goes from there."

"Danny, I . . . I don't know."

He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Trust me."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern. He had _no_ idea what he was getting himself into. Finally, she gave him a weak nod.

"Wait, wait. What're we doing?" Tucker asked, completely confused. Judging by Star's look, it was obvious she felt exactly the same way. Danny sighed.

"I'm going to look for Valerie. Maybe, with enough persuasion, she'll join me and fight against Evieor."

"Are you serious? Man, I thought you were joking!" He paused and then added, "Are you crazy?"

"Hang on, Valerie _Gray_?" Star asked, but the three pretended not to have heard. The last thing they needed was her delaying them with questions again.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can call my cell whenever you get worried. I'll be in the real world so it'll—"

He was interrupted by a polyphonic ring tone and reached into his pocket for his phone. There was a picture of Tucker midway through a fall on his screen and he and Sam both looked up with the same exasperated look.

"I'm worried," the dark skinned teen said into his phone before turning it off.

"Better idea; _you_ call if you're worried," Danny said, pointing both index fingers to the side at Sam. She nodded.

With that said, he raised his arms, said, "I'm going ghost," and transformed into his ghost half.

"I'll be back soon," he told Sam. "You three, stay here. And put up the . . . wait, no more ghost shield. So just arm yourselves with as many weapons as you can find."

He took a deep breath and headed toward the door, but Sam's voice stopped him.

"Danny, wait! Don't do this. You know as well as we do that she won't listen. You can do without her."

"No I can't. At least I can warn her beforehand that I'll be out in the open fighting Evieor. Then she won't get in my way."

He turned around but this time, Star was the one who stopped him.

"You're better off avoiding her," she warned, finally linking two and two together and remembering how much her friend hated Phantom. "I remember a while back, Val and I were talking and she kept changing the subject to 'Inviso-Bill'. Trust me, you can't even _begin_ to imagine how much she hates the ghost kid. She actually made me believe he was evil too."

Danny raised a brow. "What'd she say?"

"Too many things to remember. But I know she always emphasized the word _jerk_. She said you're just like any other teenage boy. Always trying to impress others by dumping on the innocent and then trying to cover up for your behavior by making up stories that you're actually trying to help whenever you're at her mercy."

"Yeah, that's kinda what she said to me earlier," Danny said. "But still, it's worth a try."

Before anyone could interrupt again, he ran through the wall and then, once outside, took to the air and flew off . . . straight into disaster. He cringed every minute or so. There was nothing left of Amity. The streets were destroyed and replaced with large crevices. Most buildings were burned (no doubt due to Evieor's explosive blast several hours before) and the only sound that was being made was the loud roar of the irate ghost just near the outskirts of town. Black streaks of ectoplasmic energy showered the blood red sky, destroying whatever it made contact with.

Thinking quickly, Danny focused all of his concentration on conjuring a shield. The black energy was reflected before it made contact with his home. If he was going to do anything, it had to be done now, before his enemy returned to town . . . to tear it apart a little more . . .

He stayed close to the ground and flew steadily, making sure to keep a look out for any ghost hunters. They were bound to appear shortly. But where were they now? Where were his parents? And Jazz?

_Focus_, Danny told himself as he passed several more deserted homes. Still, he couldn't help but wonder where everyone had gone.

A large and nearly untouched building came to view before him. It must've had at least ten floors. The only part of it that was marked was a little on the corner around what seemed like the 7th floor. A few bricks were missing and it seemed as if someone or something smashed into it. Danny recognized the building immediately. It was where the spring dance was held after the school was destroyed last month. Part of it used to be a museum, but they removed all of its contents and left most of the rooms spotless.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Danny flew up to the ninth floor to check it out. There was just one memory that wouldn't escape his mind. The dance with Sam . . .

He flew in through the thick glass window (which replaced the wall and showed a full view of the outside world) and stepped into the vast and dark room. If it hadn't been for the light outside, it would've been pitch black. The black floor was tiled and smooth. In fact, he could almost see his reflection perfectly when he looked down. He took a few steps further in and looked around. There was nothing, and yet, he heard _something_.

He continued walking deeper in until it was so dark that the green glow from his eyes actually became visible. And that wasn't good.

There was a faint clicking sound somewhere in the distance and his heart skipped a beat. Someone was there with him. But he couldn't see . . .

The sound of a gun being loaded from behind gave his visitor away. He turned around, but saw only a circular glowing pink light. And then it flew straight at him . . .

* * *

_Ooooh, behold the cliffhanger. Well, I don't think I have to explain what's going to happen next. Lots and lots of butt kicking. But not only does Danny have to have a physical battle, but he must also try to get through to the thickheaded Val. This should be interesting. _


	14. Face Off

_Yes, it's Wednesday. Well, I've had a good day at school so, instead of putting this up at 7:00, I'll update it sooner. Okay, as you know, this chapter is action-packed. Not only that, but you also get a look at the Danny-Val conflict. It should be interesting. Anyway, please review if you have a chance. I love reviews. And speaking of which, now I shall skip straight to thanking my reviewers._

**JK rulez:**_ And of course, you are the first. LoL. Yes, behold the power of evil cliffhangers. And no, Danny is not very smart for trying to reason with Valerie. Then again, he's just not very smart at all. Kidding. Anyway, you have a whole action-packed chapter up ahead to inform you on how this little 'meeting' went. As for Amity Park, the chaos is only beginning. There's more to come. MUCH more. That's all I have to say on that. You'll just have to read to find out what happens._

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny: **_Evieor is terrible. Let's just go with that. LoL. But it's not just him. Keep in mind that he has a few accomplices. Don't forget to blame them. Speaking of which, you'll be seeing more of them for the few chapters where Evieor is absent. But he'll be back. "Awesome" LoL, now I'm at a loss for words. Thank you so much! Yes, that's good._

**Ohka Breynekai:**_ If you like Val-Danny scenes and butt-kicking, this is definitely the chapter for you. LoL, temptation to read sneak peeks. It's okay, now with the quicker updates, you won't have to wait much until you can finally read them along with the rest of the chapter. Just incase you didn't know, the sneak peeks are for chapter 15 and 17 so that's definitely not a long wait. If you want, I can put them back up in my profile after you read the chapter. It will be pretty pointless since you'll already have read it, but w/e. Also, yes that is a weird coin-cee-dink. But nonetheless cool. _

**Phantomshadowdragon: **_Tucker _is _a girly guy. He's a cool girly guy. And Evieor_ is _a spoiled brat. Or in my opinion anyway. I make this evil characters in a way that even I end up hating them. Except Sana. I don't hate her too much. But she's just stubborn and annoying. So anyway, yes Val is in the room. And she . . . well, obviously hates Danny Phantom. So conflicts will now arise. _

How long was Danny in the Ghost Zone? _Pretty long I'd say. Probably about 5 hrs. Well, actually, it can't be that long. But the reason he wasn't familiar with what was going on with Amity Park was because he left to go find Sam and Tucker right after Evieor's blast. He wasn't paying attention to the destruction. All he heard was peoples' screaming and the town's ghost alert._

Is everyone else in there? Or at least his parents?_ In the room? Hmm, it seemed pretty vacant when he was looking around. People are pretty much in hiding now. Maybe some were in the building, but not in that particular room. Keep in mind that one of the eight cameras was set up in that building, so it would seem logical that they would be there so that if a ghost was near, the public would be able to see it on the plasma screen set up for town view. And as for Danny's parents, you'll be seeing them soon.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 14- Face Off

Thinking quickly, he shifted his body to the right and dodged the attack. The blaze from the missile missed by two centimeters the most. The heat felt more intense than when he accidentally tripped and nearly had his head in Sam's fireplace.

The missile crashed into the wall behind him and he turned around immediately, as any normal being would do to satisfy their curiosity. A large hole was left in the wall and smoke was emerging from it rapidly. He turned back to the shooter and gasped.

The flared ecto-gun was now only three inches from his face. She pressed down on the trigger just as Danny raised his arms and crossed them over his face. He didn't have a chance to gather enough energy to block the attack and his feeble shield faded as soon as the second missile made contact with it.

"Wait! I just wanna talk!" he said defensively, holding his hands up before his face just incase.

"And I don't!" a voice shouted, confirming that his opponent was indeed Valerie. She jumped off her flyer and landed on the floor in a crouch. Danny saw her silhouette against the light from the window as she stood up straight. From what he could see, she was standing firmly on the ground with her legs apart at shoulder length and her hands at her sides. A medium size weapon was held in her left hand.

She raised the weapon again and bent her knees. Danny knew what was coming and ran to the left, but apparently, she predicted he would do that. As soon as he leaned to the left, she leaned to _her_ left and they both moved half a circle before she fired. He jumped up and the shot flew right under his feet and at the wall behind him.

"Stop that!" he demanded, getting irritated.

"You _dare_ tell _me_ what to do?" she snapped, shooting again. He created a shield and stopped the attack.

"What did I do to you now?"

"What didn't you do!" she said angrily. Danny clenched his hands into fists.

"Stop speaking in riddles."

"Stop speaking at all."

She dropped the gun at her feet and then ran full speed at him. Danny raised a brow. She was unarmed. But unfortunately, Danny's caution eased at this and he let his guard down.

Valerie jumped up and held out both hands. The red circuit linings on her gloves flashed and two pinks flares of energy appeared in her hands. Danny screamed in surprise and raised his own hands. But she was too quick. Two of her fingers brushed against his forehead and he felt a burn, but the most of her attack was aborted when his own green energy hit her in the stomach and pushed her back.

Valerie screamed and immediately placed a hand to her wound while Danny touched his head. Two inch long cuts were set across his left eyebrow and he was bleeding a little. Fortunately, it wasn't as serious as an injury it could've been. He looked back at Val, who was on the floor, crouching forward slightly with her hand over her stomach. Lucky for her, he only used his power defensively. Therefore, it didn't do as much physical damage as hers would have.

But mentally . . .

She lifted her head slowly and he could've sworn he saw a flame light up in her eyes. Her eyebrows were so close together it resembled a unibrow. She was furious, and he was in _deep_ trouble . . .

"That was self defense," he said immediately. But she didn't care.

"I spared you," she whispered in disgust. "I trusted you, after all that you did to me! I still gave you a chance!"

"Valerie wait—"

She screamed and thrust her hand forward, shooting a red-hot blaze at him. He jumped backwards into a summersault but, just as he reached his hands toward the floor to land, it caught him in the back and sent him flying stomach first and full speed into the window.

He felt the glass shattering around him as he completed his flip in the air. Instead of landing on solid ground, his feet continued to fall and he reached his hand forward, just managing to catch the ledge. He used his other arm to cover his face from the falling fragments.

It took a while before he found his voice and managed to scream faintly. His throat constricted just as he did and he found himself unable to do anything more. A searing pain swept through his body and he knew that a sharp piece of glass had been implanted in his side.

His grip weakened and he quickly swung his other hand over and grabbed the ledge. There were faint footsteps above him and he closed his eyes in pain. Valerie was approaching.

He tried to hold himself up by pressing his dangling feet against the wall. But with every movement, the glass cut into him. He wanted to take it out, but there was no way he would be able to let go and maintain suspended in the air. Flight was not an option.

The noise stopped abruptly and he looked up. Valerie was standing directly above him, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She had her hands clenched into fists. Slowly, she uncurled her fingers and the pink energy began to surge through her gloves again.

"Valerie," Danny muttered hopelessly. She raised her hands and held them together, aimed directly at him. It was unbelievable. Only a few minutes of fighting and she was already one shot away from destroying the same ghost kid that had escaped death on so many occasions.

"Goodbye and good riddance," she said coldly as her hands flashed once more and released the energy. He quickly released his right hand from the ledge and the blast missed.

His anger was slowly rising. Months of trying to save her and _this_ is what he got in return? It was always this way. Whether with Val or Amity Park itself. He was _always_ the enemy.

_Maybe that's because you're not meant to be the hero,_ a voice said back to him. Danny gritted his teeth in anger. He saw the red clad ghost hunter prepare to fire again. With one hand remaining, his only option was to let go—

And he did.

The second pink blaze passed right over him as he tilted his body back and pushed off the building with his feet. Without thinking twice, he released the ledge and found himself heading headfirst toward the ground.

A vision appeared in his mind as the familiar sense of the wind blew in his face. _He was holding onto Sam. _He was falling again, only this time, without her. Suddenly, red beams began to fly around him. Valerie was shooting again. He narrowed his eyes and focused his mind on one thought.

He _was_ the hero. And it was _his_ job to come out on top, even if that meant taking her down to get there. He was fighting for a cause. And though no one knew it, he _did_.

Danny pulled the glass out of his side with a wince and then titled his body back again in a rotation so that he was now flying back up, toward the beams. Valerie stepped back when she noticed her enemy nearing her. She continued to shoot, but he dodged each assault. Without hesitation, he slowed down, thrust his arm back, and threw the piece of sharp glass that shone luminously in the light of the moon. It pierced into her ecto-gun and knocked it out of her hands.

"What the—?"

A sudden force hit her roughly and threw her back, causing her to slide on the floor several feet. She sat up furiously and looked for the source of the attack.

And there he was, floating just in front of the broken window with one glowing hand raised and the other clenched into a fist. For the first time, he actually stared at her as if he wanted nothing more than to obliterate her on the spot. Valerie stared back, though her courage was rapidly diminishing as she forced herself to look straight into his eyes. She could've sworn they were glowing more than usual.

She noticed green blood under his right ribs and felt a growing satisfaction. Phantom remained where he was as if waiting for her to make the first move. She got to her feet and held out her own hands.

"Surrender now and I'll show mercy," Valerie offered.

"And then what?" Danny shot back. "You continue hunting me and getting in the way of my plans. We have to end this . . . _now_."

Valerie remained still.

_Plans?_

"Gladly," she said after an awkward silence. To her surprise, Phantom flew at her and shot a green blast. She prepared to jump back, but the shot missed anyway.

"Not very good with aim," she called out. Before waiting for his reply, she grabbed her fallen weapon, pulled the piece of glass out, and dropped it to the floor with a groan. There was green blood on her gun and a deep hole as well.

She turned around to aim, but he appeared a few inches before her. Valerie screamed in surprise and he smacked the weapon out of her hand. It hit the floor with a loud _clank_ again. She clenched her teeth and looked at him. His face was about six inches away. Her expression softened a little. Why did he look so familiar?

_He's kinda cute_, she found herself thinking. _Ugh, agh! Shut up!_

"You know, you're a lot different than I thought," he said suddenly, pulling her out of her mental argument.

"Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"It means I knew you were stubborn, but I never thought you'd actually be driven to a point where you'd want to completely destroy someone for revenge. You're _nothing_ like Valerie Gray."

Her eyes widened.

"W-What? How do you . . .?"

Her voice faltered. She looked closely at his eyes, but he noticed and pulled back quickly. She stammered a bit and then said, "You completely destroyed _me_. I'm doing the same!"

Danny remained high above her with his arms crossed over his chest. She wasn't attacking. Apparently, he was supposed to make the first move again. But instead, he decided to ask the one thing that's been bugging him ever since the fight started.

"Do you hate me more than you like Fenton?" he blurted out. A look of curiosity set across Valerie's face once more.

"Fenton? Why are you suddenly so interested about my personal life?" she asked. Danny didn't reply. Truthfully, he wanted her to tell him she liked Fenton more. Then he'd probably be able to reveal his secret to her, knowing she wouldn't try to waste him. It would make things a lot easier for the both of them. But he couldn't tell her that . . .

So he remained silent until she decided to continue the battle. She pressed two fingers against her wrist and a faint red light traveled through a few circuit lines and then faded after about two inches. For a minute, all was silent. And then—

"Ah!"

Valerie's new and improved jet sled flew from the end of the room and went right into Danny. He was caught between the jutting ends of the flyer as it neared the red clad ghost hunter. She raised her weapon once more and aimed it at him. Danny's eyes widened and then he closed them. Feeling as though a strange wind had gone through him, he felt himself slowing down as the flyer went through him and continued towards Valerie. She screamed in surprise as it caught and trapped her against the wall.

Screaming angrily, she tried to raise her hands and pull herself out, but it was no use. Her arms were at her sides and she was stuck there. Danny took her averted attention to his advantage and turned to fly away.

Valerie struggled, finally managing to reach her left wrist. She pressed down again and the flyer flew out of the wall.

"We're not through yet!" she shouted after him. Danny turned his head just in time to see a blinding white flash. Within seconds, an electric shock was spreading through him. He was screaming out in pain. Something was happening, he felt different — heavier.

His voice became rasp, but he couldn't stop. To add to the electric vibes spreading through his body, he felt himself collide with the rough and smooth surface of the tiled black floor.

_Stop,_ he yelled in his mind. But it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break away from the pain. Finally, it began to subside, but he still saw blurred spots of light. And then Valerie . . .

She stood above him with wide eyes, staring into his. Danny felt his heart beat twice as fast. Did he transform?

She continued to stare, so he blinked several times and sat up. To his surprise, she just stepped away.

"You look so . . . familiar," she whispered. Danny looked at his hands. To his relief, they were still hidden beneath his white gloves.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, realizing he couldn't stand up. Valerie's eyes widened again.

"Y-you sound like . . . like _Danny_."

Danny bit his lip and looked away quickly. He cleared his throat and then turned back to her.

"Can you stop daydreaming about your lover boy and tell me what you did to _me_?" he said, trying to make his voice deeper, but it came out raspy again and he cleared his throat once more.

Valerie clenched her hands into fists and narrowed her eyes.

"He's not my lover boy," she snapped. "But he could've been if _you_ hadn't messed things up!"

"And yet again, you manage to always return to the topic of me ruining your life," he pointed out. "But what about what you're doing to mine?"

"You're a ghost! You have no life!"

"Really? You know _that_ much about me?" he challenged. Valerie was taken aback. What did he mean by that?

"Are you trying to tell me you're alive?" she asked, weighing on the sarcasm. With much effort, Danny got to his feet and stumbled a bit.

"What did you do to me?" he asked again.

She held up a small white ball and said, "Ecto-Depleter. I haven't really figured out how to work it properly, but it will mess with your powers long enough to leave you defenseless."

Danny looked at his hands. They weren't glowing. His aura was disappearing as well, which meant one thing . . .

"Valerie—" he began, but his pleads wouldn't work. It was too late now.

"Don't you _dare_ say my name!" she yelled. A pink light escaped her fingertips and hit him directly in the chest. He fell over in pain and moaned. Part of her blast had hit him in the ribs, and that didn't do well to his wound.

Valerie ran next to him cautiously and raised her hands again. But he just closed his eyes and focused on remaining in his ghost form.

Her hands flashed pink and Danny managed to see the light through the darkness. He braced himself for the upcoming attack, but it was never released. He opened his eyes slowly and saw her standing there with her glowing hands raised.

"What're you waiting for?" he said harshly before he could stop himself. His anger of her constant judgments was steadily growing.

Valerie didn't reply. For some reason, she felt slightly guilty. But why? Wasn't this the same ghost that had tormented her for so long? Why should she feel bad about the state he was in now? It was his fault.

Or was it? She remained still, not knowing what to think. Why was she suddenly so sympathetic?

_He deserves it,_ she told herself. But when she focused her attention back at the ghost kid lying by her feet, a strange feeling overtook her.

Valerie lowered her hands and stepped back. What was wrong with her? She didn't — she_ couldn't_ have liked him. But she felt as though somehow she did.

_Snap out of it!_

Despite her feelings, Valerie reached into her pocket and took out her GRC. Danny's eyes widened in fear.

"Wait!" he said quickly. Valerie gritted her teeth as if in pain.

"I don't know what spell you put on me to make me feel the way I just did, but I know what I have to do and _nothing_ will keep me from it!"

She pressed down on the flat trigger on the handle and red energy lit up in the circuit lines. Thoughts raced through Danny's mind. He and Vlad had both experienced the horror of the GRC and neither of them wanted to relive it. Of all the weapons, why did she have to use the one that would rip his ghost half from his human half?

He tried to get up, but the pain in his ribs shot through him and knocked him back down. Unfortunately, his intangibility didn't work either. There was only one option.

"Valerie wait," he said as he prepared to show her the one thing he had been dreading since she had gotten her new title of Ghost Hunter.

"I've done my waiting!" she said back. She released the trigger and a red beam shot toward the halfa. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't close his eyes. His gaze remained fixed on the light approaching him as he prepared to take the hit.

* * *

_And again, I end the chapter with a _Val's about to shoot Danny_ cliffhanger. I didn't even realize that until now. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the action. There's still more to come. Please review if you have a chance._


	15. Decision

_Hey guys! I'm back! Cheer. That crazy person is here . . . Okay, sorry I didn't update yesterday. Something's been going on with my internet . . . Ah who am I kidding — I just forgot. Okay, I'm finishing up with Fading Remembrance so I should be done with it in a few days. But don't worry, you still have many chapters coming up. Don't forget that I'm ahead with writing than I am with updating. Oh yes, before I skip to the reviews, anyone who wants a sneak peek, let me know and I'll put it up in my profile. _

**Dramaqueen07:**_ Wow, congrats. You actually reviewed before JK rulez. Well anyway, thanks. I'll be sure to update VERY quickly._

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ I did fantastic? Yay! Thanks so much! For you, I shall make a quick update!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ He's an adorable klutz! You should know by now that Val doesn't listen to him. She's too stubborn. Not to mention that she thinks he's a two-faced jerk for "pretending to want to help and then ditching her" when he went into the Ghost Zone to go find Sam and Tucker._

What's up with the whole "getting in the way of my plans" thing? What plans?_ His plans of gathering allies and getting rid of Evieor before a real second Ghost War starts again._

Is Danny going to change into his human form and end up showing Val his true self? Or is he going to end up in the GRC? _Hmmmm, can't say. You'll just have to see. Maybe neither. Maybe both._

**JK rulez: **_(Hides behind pillow wall) Well, is Val going to find out? Hmmmm . . . will she? You'll find out soon enough. Actually, I'm going to waste your time and delay you from reading this chapter with this review response. LoL, nevermind. Just go read. And thanks!_

**Ohka Breynekai: **_LoL, hey. "Revieew if you have chance" applies to the non-reviewers. And speaking of which, thank you for supporting this story and reviewing so much! I really appreciate it. I'm glad you loved the butt-kicking scene. Plenty more to come!

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 15- Decision

Danny's eyes stayed fixed on the glowing red energy speeding toward him. Finally, gaining control of his voice, he screamed and raised a hand in defense, but the light never hit him.

There was a rush of wind above as a blurred figure flew over him. She bent down, put a hand on his arm and phased them both through the floor. Then, flying back up into the room they had been before, she left him somewhere near one of the walls and stood up, turning around to face Valerie, who currently had her back to them.

The ghost hunter looked around until she caught sight of Danny's savior. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists threateningly.

"Who are you?" she asked simply. The ghost merely smiled. She, too, closed her hands into fists.

"It's not that important," she replied. Danny stared incredulously. For a second, he thought he was seeing things, but her voice and attitude definitely gave it away. Suddenly, the ghost bent her knees and then took to the air with her hands together at her right. She swung one arm over and then the other and two red gusts of wind hurled toward Valerie.

But she didn't seem surprised. Instead, she jumped up as well and landed on her flyer as it sped past. The ghost's attacks missed, but she continued to smile.

"I'll ask you again. Who are you?" Valerie demanded as she raised and aimed her GRC.

"Temper," the ghost teased. "Put that down child. It's dangerous to play with—"

She ducked immediately as a red beam flew over her shoulder and hit the ceiling. She turned back to Valerie with a much more serious expression.

"Well, now that it has been confirmed — You are completely out of your mind."

Danny couldn't help but stare at what was going on. His enemy up against his other enemy . . . this should be interesting.

"I suggest you close your mouth if you know what's good for you, ghost," Valerie warned. Her opponent snorted.

"Oh give me a break."

She took a deep breath and then exhaled another strong just of wind with much effort. It knocked Valerie off balance but she grabbed onto the flyer and pulled herself back up.

"You better listen to her, Sana," Danny warned.

"Just because you're too much of a weakling to fight a girl doesn't mean that I am," she said with a smile. Danny glared.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"Saving your sorry behind. As much as I'd hate to admit it, Desiree has always been there for me and she has no reason to feed me lies. If she says you're our last hope against Evieor, I agree."

Danny frowned. Desiree? So she _did_ tell them. His hopes rose. If someone as hardheaded as Sana was willing to join him, maybe others would too. There was a sudden cry of surprise as the crimson haired teenage ghost was blasted with red goo and thrust into the wall. She tried to break free, but it kept her bound.

Valerie pressed her heel down on her flyer and the two rockets at the sides were released and replaced with new ones. Danny stood up and focused all of his concentration on flight. To his relief, it worked, but barely. He wasn't able to move at the normal pace, but it was better than nothing. He reached out a hand to shield his new ally from the attack, but her red eyes glowed and she disappeared through the wall.

He turned around and saw Valerie's rockets change their course as they targeted the only remaining ghost in the room.

He gasped and prepared to dive, but Sana's hands wrapped around his torso and pulled him down into the ground. He saw the rockets advancing on them from over her shoulder and looked over his own. They were inches away from the floor. He focused on intangibility, but she already had that covered. They phased through the floor as the missiles collided with it and exploded on impact. They felt the rumble from above and several broken pieces of the tiled floor showered upon them. They hit Sana in the back as she regained her tangibility and pushed both ghosts into the ground.

Valerie flew down from the room above and prepared the fire again. She saw Sana lying on Danny, still with one arm around him, but her eyes were closed. His, however, were open and he saw her and gasped.

"Sana, get up!"

He pushed her off of him, but she remained unconscious.

"One down, one to go. I always find it incredible that _you're_ always the last one standing," Valerie said to him and she moved her foot to press it down again in a different area. Danny wasn't willing to stay and find out what this one did. He got up, pulled Sana's limp figure onto his shoulder, and prepared to take flight, but Valerie had already pressed down. A bright net flew out of her jet sled and landed on Danny, pinning him to the floor again. He prepared himself for another electrical surge, but the net didn't shock him.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Valerie flew down and jumped off the flyer when she was several feet from the ground.

"For some strange reason, you remind me of someone very close. And I'm going to find out why," she said as she tied the ends of the net together and pulled it up on her shoulder. "And I can rid of your little friend here, too."

Danny tried to create a ghost ray, but was unsuccessful. His aura was beginning to fade again. If he didn't get out of Valerie's sight soon, he would be exposed.

"Let me out of here!" he demanded, but Valerie ignored him. There was a faint moan and he turned around to see Sana open her eyes. She narrowed them angrily and spread out her hands.

There was a faint red light slowly forming around them which was soon followed by dark smoke. Valerie stopped and looked around.

"What are you doing!"

A transparent screen appeared in the smoke and she dropped the net.

"Stop it," she yelled. Sana smiled and twirled her finger, signaling for her to turn around. She did with caution and then practically screamed. A blurred image of her walking in the park was visible on the faded screen. Apparently, she was familiar with this memory.

"You and I both know how this dream ends," Sana told her, "but he doesn't."

She pointed to Danny and Valerie looked at him with a burning hatred in her eyes.

"You have one chance. Let us go or he'll find out what your greatest weakness is. And you can be sure he'll pay your little friend a visit."

"What?" Danny asked in alarm. What was she talking about? Was she actually hinting to Valerie that he would hurt someone near and dear to her?

"You better not!" she said angrily.

"Let's skip straight to the end, shall we?" Sana asked, waving her hand toward the screen. There was a white flash and the scenery changed. He was familiar with this from his experiences last month with her power.

For a second, Danny could've sworn he saw himself. Both halves. But one was floating in the air, laughing cruelly while he other was below, running for his life. His eyes widened. Was this why she wanted to get rid of him so badly? Aside from the revenge excuse, she must've been worried that Danny Phantom would destroy Danny Fenton.

"Valerie, I would never—" he blurted out, but Sana elbowed him in the ribs and he winced.

"Stop," he said to her, but she waved her hand again and there was another flash. Danny screamed out in anger and grabbed her wrist. For a second, the faded screen nearly disappeared, but Sana blasted him with her free hand. He tried to shoot his own ray back at her, but only sparks appeared in his hands.

Sana's eyes flashed red and she shook her head.

"If you weren't our last hope against Evieor, I would've—"

"You can't do anything to me," Danny said back. Sana gritted her teeth in anger and fired a red beam at him. He dodged and it went over him. The force of her blast cut through the net and they both stumbled out.

Sana got to her feet immediately and ran out of the way just as another red beam hit the floor right between them. Danny jumped back in alarm and looked up. Valerie's hands were glowing again and she was reaching for her GRC.

He got to his feet and prepared to knock the weapon out of her hands with his own ghost ray, but a strange and unexpected force hit him from the side and knocked him into the wall several feet beside them. He moaned and fell to the floor clutching his right ribs again.

Valerie turned around and gasped. A woman at the other end of the room was holding up a medium sized bazooka, but unlike Valerie's, this weapon had traces of green ectoplasm. She was dressed in a blue hazmat suit and currently had her hood on. Danny recognized her immediately as his mother.

Without saying a word, she fired again, but Sana flew in front of him and (barely even getting the chance to slow down) blocked the attack.

"Get out of here, now!" she demanded. Danny didn't need telling twice. Without hesitation, he got to his feet and began to run.

"I've got the redhead. You go after—" Valerie began, but when she turned around, Maddie was already halfway across the room. "—Phantom . . ."

Sana swung her arm through the air and a whip-like form of red energy caught the young ghost hunter off guard and thrust her back with a jolt. She screamed in surprise and slid across the floor. Her ecto-gun and GRC fell beside her with several loud _clanks_ and she immediately got to her knees and crawled over to the GRC.

Sana tilted her body a little to the right and quickly created another red blast, though this one was rushed and the aim was off. But by the time it reached the other end of the room, Maddie had already ran right in front of it.

She caught a glimpse of the light from the corner of her eye and turned around. Danny, too, saw the flash and stopped. His eyes widened when he saw the red beam several inches from his mother. She screamed and raised her hands in defense.

"NO!"

He ran back and pushed her out of the way. For a second, the light was all either of them saw. He felt it graze his shoulder slightly and most of the flash disappeared as the blast hit the wall. For a second, he was able to Maddie's face clearly. Her eyes widened and then the collision of the blast created another flash. They both landed hard on the floor, but he rolled out of the way as the fragments of the wall began to fall. Maddie hopped onto her feet and ran out of the way.

Danny watched and made sure she was safe before Sana ran by, grabbed his arm, pulled him up, and practically dragged him to the door of the room. He stumbled a bit and then ended up running with her. They phased through it and continued down the hall. He turned left, but she pulled him to the right and he stumbled a bit.

"Where are you going?"

She turned around and opened her mouth as if to speak, but she never said a word. Danny gave her a quizzical look.

"What? _Look out!_"

Sana turned around and saw a bright red circle on the wall leading to the room they just ran out of. She gasped and stopped abruptly as the wall disintegrated and a powerful red beam passed right in front of them and destroyed most of the hall. It barely missed and the two turned and began to run back, but Maddie was already waiting with her bazooka raised.

They stopped again and waited. Sana looked around frantically.

"It's okay. Green ectoplasm isn't much of a threat. We can phase through it," he told her, hoping he was right.

"And what about red?" Valerie asked from behind them. Sana's eyes flashed and she turned her head just barely to see past her shoulder. She raised her hand and a red flame emerged.

"Why don't we find out?"

She let go of Danny, turned around, and threw the flame at her. Valerie directed her flyer to the left and flew through the hole she created in the wall. Maddie loaded her bazooka and ran at them.

Danny created a shield and stopped his mother in her tracks.

"Please, listen to me! I'm on your—"

Sana grabbed his shoulder with one hand and pushed him to the floor. She then jumped over him and kicked out with her foot. A red gust of wind flew straight into another crimson light. The two exploded on impact and Valerie flew under the falling sparks and fired again. Sana raised her hands in front of her face and pushed them out. Another gust of wind followed her movement and stopped Valerie's second attack.

"You just don't up do you?" she said angrily to the ghost teen.

She smirked and said, "No."

Before Valerie could make another move, Sana jumped through the air in a rotation and kicked out again. She managed to knock the weapon out of the ghost hunter's hands.

"You're not much of a threat," she mocked.

"But they are," Danny interrupted. He pointed over his shoulder and Sana followed his gaze. To no surprise, Jack had joined his wife.

She gave him an irritated look and he returned it.

"What now, ghost boy?" she asked. He looked back at his parents and then down at the floor. Sana got the hint and grabbed his arm. Just as she became intangible, Jack shouted something and threw a small metal box at their feet. It opened up and connected with the floor. An electric shock went through it and Sana flew up into the air before it reached them.

"There's only one way out," she told him. "Don't get in my way."

"What're you going to do?"

She raised her left hand and created another strong force of wind that pushed Jack against the wall and pinned him there. Maddie took aim while Sana's attention was averted, but she only had a good view of Danny. He noticed and prepared to pull his new ghostly ally back down to the ground, but his mother never fired. Instead, she lowered the bazooka as if she was afraid to hurt him.

Sana flew by immediately while they still had the chance and Maddie stepped aside. Both Valerie and Jack stared at her incredulously.

"Maddie, quick! Shoot 'em!" Jack yelled to her. His wife turned to him and then looked back at the ghosts, thinking of what Danny Phantom had said earlier.

'_Green ectoplasm isn't much of a threat. We can phase through it.'_

She bit her lip and, hoping the two heard him, raised her weapon and fired. Sana felt the blaze from behind and became intangible. It went through them and missed. By the time Valerie had loaded her own GRC, they had already phased through the wall and disappeared.

Once outside, Sana flew down and released Danny. He stumbled forward and then fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Stay out of trouble," she said before she took off again.

"Wait," Danny mumbled. He was steadily growing weaker due to the effects of Valerie's Ecto-Depleter. He glanced down at his hands. The aura was completely gone. There was a familiar flash and two rings formed around Danny. He felt excruciating pain as it passed through his ribs and changed him back into his human state.

For the most part, the blood had already dried and his shirt, unlike his ghost suit, wasn't torn. If he could avoid his parents long enough, they wouldn't even notice the wound. He put a finger to his left eyebrow and felt around for Valerie's two cuts. Maddie had looked straight into his face when he saved her from Sana's attack. Was it possible that she might've seen them? Or maybe the flash prevented it. He hoped it was the latter.

Slowly getting to his feet, Danny began heading home. What on earth was he going to tell Sam and Tucker?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Valerie dropped her bag on the floor and fell into her bed with a groan. So many thoughts had been swimming around in her mind since her last encounter with Danny Phantom. She looked up at the ceiling and saw a picture of his face. Usually, she would practice her aim by throwing a handball at it before bed.

However, now she just stared at it. It was so strange. He looked so much different in real life. She could've sworn she saw traces of Danny Fenton when she looked at him.

His eyes especially. She didn't what it was, but when she looked into his eyes, she felt as though she were looking at Danny. She even felt a strange but yet familiar way around him. And then he spoke, and his voice sounded like him too.

"Snap out of it, Val," she muttered to herself. Was she really that obsessed to start comparing her crush with her all-time greatest enemy? But it wasn't an obsession . . .

"I don't know what's going on, but I'll find out," she said to the picture.

_'You always manage to return to the topic of me ruining your life. But what about what you're doing to mine?'_

That was random. Valerie sat up and repeated the words in her mind. What had he meant? Surely he didn't have a life . . .

And yet, he knew so much about her, and about Danny. He couldn't have been spying. Her weapons would've detected if there was a ghost nearby or overshadowing anyone. It was all so weird, but she was she was going try to make sense of it anyway.

'_I knew you were stubborn, but I never thought you'd actually be driven to a point where you'd want to completely destroy someone for revenge. You're nothing like Valerie Gray.'_

"And how exactly do you know Valerie Gray?" she snapped as if he was standing right in front of her. But her anger subsided instantly.

_How do know so much about me? You're so much like Fenton, and yet, you're so different._

Valerie smiled and chuckled slightly.

"I always thought he was kinda cute," she whispered to herself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny walked home slowly, limping after every few steps. It took a while until he reached the last block. His house was just around the corner. He checked his cell phone. Sam had called twice. A large lump formed in his throat and a sense of dread caught up with him.

_She's gonna kill me, _he thought immediately.

"Ah! I'm gonna kill him!" Sam said angrily as she paced around the room. Tucker was sitting on the sofa drinking a glass of iced tea.

"If Valerie didn't already—"

"I _told _him not to go! But does he listen?"

"Sam, he's a guy. Do we _ever_ listen?"

She stopped pacing and looked at him.

"This isn't funny Tucker. He hasn't answered his phone and it's already pitch black outside."

"Would you prefer red? Calm down, you act as if you're his mother."

"How is it possible that you're not worried at all?" she asked in disbelief. Tucker shrugged and took another sip.

"I don't have a feeling that he's in any real danger."

She bit her lip and sat down next to him.

"I hope you're right."

Suddenly, the door swung open and Danny walked in, closing it behind him. Sam got up immediately and ran over to him, followed by Tucker shortly after. They embraced him tightly and he winced. Before he could hug them back, Sam let go and gave him a weak slap.

"Ow! Hey! What was that for?"

"You told us to call if we were worried. I called you twice and you didn't pick up. That made me even more concerned! Don't do that to me."

"I guess I should've called back before I got home. I would've avoided the extra pain," Danny added in a mumble as he rubbed his cheek. Unfortunately, Sam heard and gave him a serious look.

"So how'd it go?" Tucker asked before he could apologize.

"Terrible," Danny grumbled. He walked to the couch and sat down. "You were right," he said to Sam as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall. "She didn't even give me a chance to talk. But she kept looking into my eyes for some reason."

A look of sheer fright set upon Sam's face and she unfolded her arms.

"When?"

"When we were fighting," Danny stated the obvious. Sam rolled her eyes.

"A little more specific?"

"I don't remember. I was kind of busy trying to stay alive."

"And what was her reaction?" the Goth questioned. Danny gave her his _'where is this going' _look and then took her words into consideration.

"She seemed confused, and yet somewhat in disbelief. You-You don't think she might've . . . you know?"

"Been comparing you with Danny Fenton?" Sam supplied. "Yeah, I do."

Danny didn't like the tone she was using. It was usually heard when he and Tucker caused her to lose her temper . . . and that always ended badly.

"But she didn't figure it out," he said quickly, trying to keep her calm. In a way, he wished he could be sure of what he just said.

Sam's gaze remained fixed on him and, sensing Danny's alert reaction to her previous tone, Tucker got the hint and changed the subject.

"Hey, look on the bright side. At least you got an extra few hours of training. And you're gonna need it. Now that Evieor knows that Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom, you might as well stay as Danny Phantom."

Judging by the look that just set upon Danny's face, Tucker had changed to the wrong topic.

"Uh . . . there's nothing wrong with . . . your ghost half, is there?" he asked hesitantly. Sam looked at him and then back at Danny who hesitated to respond.

"_Is there?_" she asked, urging him for a reply. Still, he remained silent and shifted a little. After a few seconds of him playing absentmindedly with his fingers and staring at the floor, he slowly looked up at them.

"Well . . ."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"I can't believe you let him get away," Jack said disappointedly as he drove home. Maddie sighed.

"I don't know what came over me," she said apologetically. "But . . . he saved me."

There was a sudden screech as Jack lost control of the wheel and the RV swerved into the next lane. He regained his posture and glanced sideways at her.

"Maddie, are you delusional?"

He put a hand to her forehead but she pushed it away.

"I'm serious, Jack. I don't why he did it, but when I looked into his face, I-I could've sworn I saw Danny."

Jack looked at her in disbelief.

"Have you lost your mind, woman? Our arch enemy? Resembling our _son_?"

Maddie sighed and leaned against the window.

"Something's up with that kid. One minute he's evil and then the next . . ."

"Maddie, you and I both know this . . . You can't trust a ghost — _ever._"

"But why not?" his wife questioned. "Aren't they just souls of people?"

"Souls of those who are destined to roam the earth for all eternity. That can only mean one thing. They were evil in their life and were cursed with this fate."

"Jack, I find it hard to believe that _all_ ghosts are evil."

She paused and thought about what she had just said. _Never_ had she thought that way. How did one encounter with Danny Phantom change that?

"What are you talking about? Of course they are! That's why you and I have the duty of getting rid of them and protecting our town."

_Protecting our town_, Maddie thought. That was ironic . . .

"Speaking of which, wasn't it _him_ who saved Amity Park last month?"

She got him there. Jack stammered a little and glanced at her once or twice.

"Uh . . . um—"

"And what about that fight against the ghost king?"

To be honest, she really overlooked the whole incident with Pariah Dark. She had completely forgotten he had saved them when her son's near death became the main issue. She heard Jack revert back to his stammering and turned to him.

"I-I — Well, what about the rumors—?"

"What about them?" she cut him off. "_Rumors_, they could be false. I think we should really further our research on this."

Jack was relieved to hear her end the conversation and nodded.

"Yeah . . ."

He pulled into the driveway and parked the RV.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"So this Ecto-Depleter thing has cut off your powers?" Tucker asked.

"Not exactly," Danny replied. "She doesn't really know how it works but she told me it'll _mess_ with my powers for a while. It doesn't exactly mean I can't go ghost, but I'm not sure. My aura disappeared last time. Maybe I can still go ghost but won't be able to retain my form? I don't know."

"Well, try it out," Tucker suggested as he stood up with his friend. They stepped away from the sofa and Danny looked down at his hands. He could always sense when something wasn't right with his ghost half. Kind of like homeostasis was being disrupted.

_Homeostasis,_ Danny repeated in his mind. _I guess I learned something in Biology after all . . . _

"I'm going ghost!" he cried as he held his closed hands bent at his sides. He closed his eyes and waited for the familiar cool sensation to spread throughout his body as it normally did. But a few seconds passed (or so it seemed) and nothing happened.

A luminous light spilled into the room from outside as soon as he shouted his battle cry and Tucker and Sam turned to the window. Danny didn't seem to notice. His mouth twitched slightly as he focused on transforming. On instinct, Tucker leaned past Danny and grabbed a few pillows from the sofa. The door swung open as the Fentons entered the room and he quickly shoved the cushions into Danny.

He fell back with an "umph!" and Tucker ran in front of him to block him from his parents' view.

Maddie and Jack raised their eyebrows at the teen's reaction and he smiled nervously.

"H-hey, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. Glad to see you're okay. Some ghost attack, huh? Completely random. You'd better check the lab and see if everything's all right."

"Great gobs of ghost goop, he's right!" Jack yelled, causing Maddie to cringe and cover her ears as he ran past her. Sam moved aside to allow him to pass through the door and Maddie followed closely behind.

She closed the door behind them and turned to her friends. Danny pulled the pillows off his face and threw them onto the sofa. Then, leaning on it with one arm, he pulled himself up and brushed the dust from his shirt.

"Nothing?" Sam asked. He shook his head and sighed.

"Nothing," he mumbled, looking down at his hands. Tucker seemed to be at a loss of what to say. He folded his arms and looked down, apparently thinking.

"So what now?" Sam voiced his thoughts. Danny shrugged and sat down.

"I don't know. What is there to do? I'm completely defenseless."

"No you're not," Sam interrupted. Danny held out his hands.

"What're you talking about? I'm stuck in my human form! I can't do anything."

"That's not true. Tucker and I have _always_ had to fight ghosts and we don't have any superpowers to back us up. Your ghost half gives you powers to your advantage, but you can't rely on that forever. You have to learn how to train your human half for ghost hunting too. And you can start with this."

She grabbed a small device from her bag and tossed it to Danny. He caught it and smiled.

"The GRC . . ."

"And look at the bright side," said Tucker. "You won't be affected by it now."

Sam nodded and pulled her bag onto her shoulder. She tapped it lightly and Danny heard the sound of metal.

"So, what do you say? Are you gonna mope around and let Evieor win this battle, or are you gonna fight back?"

Tucker smiled encouragingly but Danny remained silent. After a few seconds, his smile disappeared.

"Uh, Danny?"

"What'll it be?" Sam asked. Her hopes, like Tucker, were diminishing. Once again, the halfa did not respond. He got up and walked over to the window behind his friends. They moved aside to let him pass and looked at each other. Tucker shrugged and followed him.

Danny leaned against the window sill and looked outside. Everything seemed calm now. The sky was its usual nighttime blue-black color. Fortunately, the darkness shadowed the true scene of Amity Park and allowed Danny to vision it as it was before. Without the ghosts, that is. How peaceful it had been . . . almost routine. There was never much action in their humble little town. People would do what they were supposed to and never complain. And then on that one day, all because of him, they were thrust into this chaotic fate. All because of his curiosity.

But moping about it wasn't going to change it back. There was no point to linger in the past. This was the present — and now that he screwed things up, it was his job to set it right.

_Can't argue with destiny,_ Danny thought to himself as a vivid memory played back in his mind.

"Doesn't look like I have any other choice," he said in reply to Sam's earlier question. "I guess I'll have to fight back."

He smiled at them, knowing deep down, regardless of what he thought, that that was the answer he was going to give them anyway. They returned the smiles and Sam tossed him the GRC he left behind.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning, Evieor is going down."

* * *

_That's it for chapter 15. Okay, as you can now see, Danny, Sam, and Tucker are very serious about getting rid of Evieor. But they're going to have a Lot more enemies to face soon enough. And after they're through with him, he might prefer Evieor. Or maybe not. You'll never know until I update. Muahaha!_


	16. The Awakening

_Hey guys. It's been a while. First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long update. I was planning on putting this up a while ago, but something happened to a wire for my internet. It was out for a few days. But the good news is that within those two days, I had a chance to write a little more. I'm up to chapter 20! Wow, it's coming to a close at this point. Don't worry, it's not the last one, but it's definitely going to be long (probably longer than chapt 18 which is 22 pgs on Microsoft Word. . . PROBABLY. I'm not 100 sure.) But don't worry. There's still plenty more for you to read. The real problem starts in this chapter. This is kind of where Amity Park is REALLY struck by chaos. You'll find out what I mean by that in chapter 17._

_Okay, so once again I apologize for the short delay. I have put up the chapter 19 (requested by JK rulez) sneak peek in my profile. Anyone who wants to check that out, please hurry because I will remove it very soon. I'll take it down a little after I update chapter 17. _

_Since I'm going to start writing chapter 20 and 21 very soon, I'm thinking of giving a little sneak peek exclusively to my reviewers. When I'm ready to send the sneak peek, I'll let you know it bold letters at the BOTTOM of the chapter. Whoever reviews gets to see a part of either one of those two (or maybe both. Not so sure yet) Of course this will end when I have put the chapters up. But until then, I'll keep you posted on that. _

_For chapter 19, I am going to have a list of all of the people who reviewed up until then. I'll be updating that list afterwards too, so it's never too late._

_And finally, my usual thanks to my wonderfully dedicated reviewes (and another thanks to QHReiner for having my story in their C2):_

**JK rulez: **_Many more fight scenes to come. The Ghost War officially begins in "The Awakening." True, Danny is now VERY determined. But things happen and he might lose his confidence. But hey, at least his friends will be there to help him get back on top. Or will they? Oops . . . I've said too much. Now, how much will Jack, Maddie, and Val find out? Hmmm . . . maybe a little more than they should. By the way, I'm sorry it took so long to put the sneak peek up in my profile. As you've probably read above, my internet crashed for a few days and I fell behind schedule. But it's there now. _

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ Danny is very determined. When you have true determination, nothing can stop you. It happens with me a lot. It also prevents you from giving up. He's fighting for too many things to give up now. Even without his powers, he'll manage. And yes, it will be MUCH harder. But will Sam and Tucker be there for them? You never know. LoL, so much more coming up ahead — you have no idea. Anyway, the upcoming chapters will have action as well, so now you have something else to look forward to._

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_Yep, Sana is helping Danny, grudgingly of course. But she's still helping. Remember in chapter 12 when Danny ran into Desiree? She offered to gather a few ghosts to fight on his side against Evieor. Sana's one of them since she refused to give Evieor a power and is now against him. You are the third person to tell me that you loved this chapter for the action. It never gets old. LoL. There's more coming up. I can promise you guys a LOAD of action at the very end. As for Danny's secret being exposed . . . it would be interesting depending on how the writer makes it. I usually like fics like that. It would be pretty messed up if Valerie found out though, because as you can see, she has SERIOUS issues with DP right now. She's left the poor kid powerless. Speaking of which, it might take a while until they return. You'll have to see what happens from here.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 16- The Awakening

Danny woke up early the next day. It hadn't been such a great night for him. Dreams of the previous ghost war were beginning to haunt him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't convince himself that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

"Danny! Breakfast is ready!" Maddie called from downstairs. "I made pancakes! Hurry up while they're still hot!"

He turned on the bathroom sink and allowed water to pour into his hands before splashing it onto his face. There was at least one thing to look forward to today. No school . . .

Danny looked up at the mirror and stared at his tired blue eyes. Hoping it would work, he closed them and waited a few seconds. When he looked back at his reflection, disappointment showed on his face and he sighed. Still blue.

"Danny!" his mother called again. He wiped his face with the towel and proceeded downstairs. The kitchen T.V. was already on and Jazz and Jack were staring at it intently as if waiting for something.

"Hey guys. What's 'oin' on?" he asked as a yawn muffled his last few words.

Maddie set a plate of steamed pancakes on the table as he sat down and turned his gaze to the television.

"The town's public screen was turned on this morning. The Ghost Watch has officially begun," she replied. Jazz turned to Danny with the same concerned look that had just set on his face.

"You mean the cameras that are placed around town have been turned on?" he asked.

Maddie nodded. "Yep, all eight of them. Your father and I know exactly where they are, too."

Danny's eyes widened.

"You do?" he said quickly.

"Of course. We're the ones who set them up," Jack explained as he poured syrup onto his breakfast.

"Where are they?"

"Eat your pancakes, dear. They'll get cold," Maddie told him, but he shook his head.

"No thanks. I'm not really that hungry. Where are the cameras?"

"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" she asked. Danny paused. Maybe he had been a little too obvious?

"Well, it's always good to know," he began nervously. "I mean, if we ever get attacked and no one's around to see us, we can run to one of those spots and the town will know."

"Nice," Jazz muttered before taking a bite.

"He does have a point," Jack stated. "Well, there's one in City Hall right above the speech platform. There's another near the park. The third's in one of the public buildings but I can't remember which one."

"The museum?" Danny suggested. His father shrugged and took another bite.

"P'obaly."

Danny turned to the T.V. and noticed a small square at the top right just above the Shelley. It was divided into eight separate cubes.

"What's that?" he asked.

"That's the image from each of the cameras. It's constantly being monitored by the studio and when one of them picks up a ghost attack, it'll become fullscreen."

"Oh, good to know. I'm gonna go call Sam and Tuck. We're supposed to meet at the pa—"

Danny froze and remembered what his father had just said.

"Uh, we're supposed to meet at Sam's. Her parents are on high ghost alert," he added, but Maddie still seemed worried.

"You're going outside? Don't you see what's going on out there?"

"Don't worry, Mom. We're well prepared."

"Just a minute, young man," she called as he turned to run up the stairs. She grabbed his shirt and held him back. "I'd prefer it if they came here."

"Here? Why?"

She pointed one finger at the door leading to the lab and the other at the ceiling to indicate the op-center.

"Uh, yeah. On second thought, maybe you're right. We shouldn't meet. It'd be best if we just stayed inside. I can always chat with them on the phone."

Maddie smiled and ruffled his hair. Danny closed an eye and made a face which she obviously hadn't noticed.

"You're getting to be so responsible. No more arguing or comebacks. My little boy is growing up!" she added emotionally as she wrapped her arms around her son in a tight embrace. Jazz raised a brow. There was no way he was giving up that easily.

Danny finally managed to pull away from his mother when Jack finished eating and called her down to the lab. Aside from coming up to eat, they practically spent the entire day in the basement securing the house as well as keeping an eye out for the news. It was pretty quiet outside, despite the destruction and mayhem of the town. Evieor seemed to have disappeared for a while. Danny was on high alert for that.

Jazz had taken the liberty to hack into her parents' ghost files last night and kept an eye out for any strange activities. She must've known where the remaining five cameras were located.

"If you want to sneak over to Sam's, you better do it now," she said, getting his attention, "before Dad comes back up for his usual snack in three . . . two . . ."

Danny didn't hesitate to make a run for it. Sure enough, when he reached the stairs, Jack came bursting into the kitchen asking Maddie if she wanted a granola bar. He was carrying an unfinished device as well. Danny saw many tangled wires dangling from it.

When he reached his room, he whistled softly. Kujo's head popped up from under his bed and he barked gleefully. Danny put a finger to his lips and got down on one knee.

"Shh, shh, calm down. We don't want them to hear us."

He closed the puppy's mouth with both hands and glanced at the door. Fortunately, no one had heard.

"Listen, I'm going to sneak out and meet my friends. I need you to stay here and guard the door, okay? If anyone calls, you know what to do."

He released the pup's mouth and gestured towards the computer. Kujo followed and hopped onto the computer chair while Danny opened a folder containing several files.

"I already told you when to press what. But just a quick drill."

He stood up straight and cleared his throat.

"_Danny, can I talk to you?_"

Kujo put his paw on the mouse and pressed down on a file.

"_Not now, I'm busy,_" Danny's voice answered back from the speakers.

"Good boy. Uhh, how about this? _Danny, what are you doing in there?_"

Once again, Kujo directed the mouse to a file and pressed down.

"_I'm not hungry_."

Danny raised a brow and scratched his head.

"Ah, close enough. Good boy. I'll see you later."

Kujo barked and hopped off the chair. He followed Danny to the window with his tail wagging vigorously behind him. He leapt onto Danny's schoolbag as a boost onto the bed. And then it began.

_Beep — beep — beep_

"Aaaah! Kujo, you have to watch out for that," the teen muttered as he walked through his bed and reached into his bag for the beeping GRC. He placed a hand on it and pressed down. A transparent green light was emitted from his palm and the weapon muted.

"At least that still works," Danny mumbled, looking back at his hand. The glow had disappeared in an instant. "Not that it'll help me in a fight, but whatever."

With a satisfied smile, he returned to the window and reached out to open it. The pup titled his head slightly.

"Don't give me that look. I'll be okay. Be good and stay quiet."

He opened the window and swung one leg over so that he was now sitting on the ledge.

"Oh and try to close the window when I leave. Watch out for Jazz, too. She has a big mouth."

Danny pressed a finger to his lips and smiled. Kujo panted and wagged his tail eagerly. He always seemed joyful when Danny insulted his sister. After swinging the other leg over, he grabbed onto the ledge with his hands and looked at the puppy. Without warning, Kujo barked and jumped up. He hit the lock on the window and it slid down. Danny screamed in panic and let go just before it closed on his fingers.

Kujo pressed his nose against the glass as Danny landed on the ground with a loud thud. He stood up moaning and rubbed his back, looking up with an annoyed expression as Kujo's ears bent back slightly and he lowered his head apologetically.

Feeling guilty about the pup's reaction, Danny smiled reached for his cell phone to dial Sam's number. He turned his back to his house and heard a bark just as he began walking.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

He rang the doorbell and stepped back. There was a faint screech instead of the usual chime and he knew Sam had modified it. When the door opened, Danny let out a scream very similar to it.

There she was, standing at the doorstep . . . wearing a hot pink dress with more fills than he could count. His jaw nearly dropped ten feet. Sam just scowled and stepped aside so that he could pass. Danny remained rooted to the spot and stared transfixed at his friend.

"It was the only way I could convince them to let you come. Actually, this for Tucker to come," she said, motioning to the dress she was wearing. "This one was for you."

She reached for something hanging on the door and held it out in front of her. Danny's eyes practically bulged out of his head. He closed his mouth immediately and put a hand to his chin.

"I think I just dislocated my jaw."

"Good. Now I don't have to," she said angrily, holding up a fist and causing him to take at least five steps back. At that exact moment, Mrs. Manson came rushing up to them with her inch long heels making loud _clunks_ on the tiled floor.

"Hurry up and come in," she demanded, waving frantically at Danny. Knowing it'd be best not to get anymore on her bad side, he ran in quickly as she shut the door. "What were you thinking?" she turned on Sam. "Holding the door open for that long! Just inviting them in! Use your head, dear."

She turned her back on the teens and strutted back upstairs just in time to miss Sam muttering, "As if they can't phase through."

"Where's Tuck?" Danny asked. She turned to him with her eyes narrowed angrily and pointed upstairs. He took a step forward and then paused.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. After you madam," he teased. Sam gritted her teeth and lifted her dress so she wouldn't trip over it. She managed to step on Danny's foot as she walked by and he let out a loud yelp.

"Oops, my bad," she said with a smirk. He muttered something under his breath and followed her.

"Hey," Tucker greeted when they entered her unusually dark room. "Quick, close the door before your mom throws a fit," he warned Sam. She glared and kicked off her shoes.

"She yelled at you too?"

"No, but I heard her from downstairs." He chuckled slightly as she hopped onto her bed and fell back with a groan. "Nice dress."

"You already said that!" she snapped fiercely.

"Yeah, but your reaction to that never gets tiring."

She swung a hand at him and he ducked immediately. Danny reached around for a light switch.

"Geez Sam, could it be any darker in here?"

"Yes," the Goth replied simply. "You both better have a good reason for coming today and sticking me with these," she snarled, referring to the dresses.

"Ah, cheer up," Danny comforted her. "At least now you know what to wear to the prom."

That didn't help. A sudden fury flashed in the infuriated girl's eyes and she threw one of her bat shaped pillows at him. He reached out to catch it, but the force knocked him backwards and he fell down with a gasp.

"What the heck is in this thing? It's as hard as a rock."

"That's why I threw it at you," she replied, grabbing the pillow with one hand and pulling him to his feet with the other. Once he was up, she hit him again and he stumbled back with an "umf!"

"A tip to the not-so-wise," Tucker informed. "Don't tick her off when she's wearing a dress. It's just as bad as sticking your head in a tiger's mouth."

"Getting off the topic of my dress," Sam said through clenched teeth.

Tucker nodded quickly and held his hands up defensively. Danny backed away and did the same when she turned to him.

"Good. Now, what's up?"

"Aside from the fact that my powers are diminished, the town's in ruins, Valerie is completely out of her mind with revenge, Evieor and every other ghost is out of sight, the Ghost Watch has officially started again and the eight camera's are on—"

"Eight?" Tucker interrupted. Danny nodded. "Yeah. And I just found out that my folks were the ones in charge of setting them up."

Tucker raised a brow. "So why is that so bad? Now you know which places to avoid."

"Not exactly. I only know of three. I didn't get a chance to ask Jazz about the others."

"So give her the spots so she can write it down in her book," he said, nodded to Sam. Danny laughed and the Goth glared at them both. Nevertheless, she took out her notebook (now with many ghost related doodles on the cover) and opened it to the next clear page.

"Okay, there was one at the park," Danny listed. "Another at . . .—"

He paused for a few seconds and Tucker looked at him incredulously.

"Don't tell me you for—"

"City Hall?" Sam supplied as she wrote it down.

"Yeah! That's it. How'd you know?"

She stopped writing and looked up at him.

"Honestly Danny, it's not that hard to figure out that one of them would be placed at one of the most important places of Amity Park. So where's the third?"

Judging by the blank expression and Danny's hesitation to her question, Tucker assumed he forgot the third one too.

"That's great. So we have two out of eight."

"It's better than nothing," Danny said positively. Sam finished writing and looked up. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth slightly as if to speak. Tucker looked at her warily and then turned to watch she was staring at. His reaction was no different than hers and Danny turned around as well.

There, not even five blocks away from them, was one of the most horrific things Danny had seen since the end of the last month. A swirling black/blue vortex was set at least 50 feet from the ground. The blood red sky was steadily getting darker. Shades of midnight blue were now visible in the clouds.

"What the heck is that?" Tucker asked, dumfounded as Danny ran over to the window, never taking his gaze off the black energy. He was able to make out small glowing circles. They were appearing rapidly in the vortex and he noticed that they were the eyes of those strange black shadow-like ghosts that followed Spectra and resembled Evieor is many ways. Some of them were clawing their way through the black form in the sky as if trying to escape. They were all crowed together and were trying to shove past each other.

Suddenly, as if the invisible force that had been holding them up just burst, millions of them began to pour down from the vortex in a scene of black. Danny couldn't help but stare as they all fell to the ground in bunches, hissing and opening their mouths widely to reveal sharp black fangs. Some phased into the ground while others leapt back into the air and glided further into the town.

"And the havoc begins," Sam mumbled. Danny, who had had his face pressed into the glass, turned to her only to see that she was in the same position.

"Stay close," he warned. Sam and Tucker backed away from the wall and stepped behind him. He got down on one knee and crossed his hands in front of him, palms facing the window. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and strained himself to form a firm ectoplasmic shield.

"Danny, stop!" Sam said when she noticed her friend struggling. His attempt failed, but he continued to focus. His energy was being slowly drained. She grabbed one of his arms and tried to pulling him to his feet, but he remained on the floor.

Danny pressed his eyes shut tighter. His body was beginning to ache. He was putting too much effort into it. Finally, a faint spark appeared in his hands. Sam stopped pulling and waited. The spark disappeared and he tried again.

"Forget it, Danny! We have to go. Tucker, help me!" she called when Danny paid no attention to her.

Tucker seemed petrified. He stared blankly at the window. The shadows were now beginning to flood the streets. They were gliding close to the ground in groups. When some passed, others would break from the group to destroy fire hydrants, cars, or any other random things. Some clawed and others bit. Whether they used their fangs or nails, whatever they touched ended up in ruins.

After wasted efforts, Sam gave up on getting Danny to move and ran into her closet. It was then that Tucker snapped back to reality and ran up to his kneeling friend.

"Danny, come on! They're coming."

The closet door swung open and Sam ran out in her usual black attire.

"I think this is Evieor's army," she said knowingly, trying to pull Danny up again. "Danny it's not gonna work! Just get up."

"This and _that_," Tucker said, pointing outside. She looked up and gasped. Aside from the millions of black creatures now roaming the city, a few familiar ghosts were returning as well. "I definitely think he's been hanging out with Vlad."

"You_ think_?" Sam said frantically. Danny finally opened his eyes and his friends turned to him.

"It's about time."

"Dude, we gotta g—"

"Get back!" the halfa shouted. He spread out his arms and pushed them back just as a powerful beam of light passed through the window they were looking through. It took out most of Sam's wall and nearly blinded the trio. It was unclear whether Danny made the blast or not, but it sent him and his friends flying back in an instant. He heard Sam and Tucker's screams in the distance but kept his eyes shut.

When he finally opened them, he found himself lying on his back.

"Wake up," a familiar taunting voice ordered. Danny looked up blurrily. A tall figure was standing right above him. "The second Ghost War has begun," it declared. "As has my revenge."

* * *

_Hmmmm, I wonder who that could be? Hint: It might not be who you think. But the guess is yours, so feel free to . . . uh, guess. Now — this is pretty obvious — the second Ghost War has begun and Evieor's not the only leader. Keep in mind that this time, though, not every ghost is fighting against Danny. Those who refused to give Evieor theirpowers aren't fighting against Danny now. However, instead, there are Evieor's little shadow minions which basically is more than triple the amount. And I can't say that it's going to be easier for Danny. The ghosts are pretty much going to be the least of his problems soon._


	17. Transformation

_Ok,that last chapter was hectic. The Ghost War has begun and Danny's stuck without his powers. Let's see how he'll deal with it._

_**I'm almost done writing chapter 20, so whoever reviews will get a sneak peek of it through a private message. **BTW, so far it's 15 pgs and I'm nowhere near done, so expect a LONG chapter when I update it. And lots of action too._

_One more thing, last call for the sneak peek in my profile of Chapt 19. I'm taking it down very soon. Okay, onto the reviewers!_

**JK rulez:**_ The chaos is just beginning. Wait till you see what's happened to Amity Park. You'll get a glimpse of it in this chapter, but later on, you'll see it from inside. It is NOT pretty. You're not the only one who asked me what Sam was holding that made Danny's jaw drop. My answer: It was a dress too frilly, puffy, and unimaginably horrible to be described by words. It hurt me to try to imagine it so I just figured you'd get the hint through Danny's reaction. Okay, this story is nearing a close, but there's still a lot of stuff going on. Remember, this is just the beginning of the second Ghost War and this time, things are going to be a lot harder for Danny. Not only does he not have his powers, but soon, a few more problems will arise. And he's not going to like them._

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ LoL, yes you are very mean. But hey, if Danny was a little more prepared, there would be no story. He's meant to mess up every now and then. _

_Wow, I'm so flattered. But I'm not that good. I mess up a lot and end up constantly changing things when I remember it doesn't fit well. Uh, it's kinda hectic. I'm sure you're better than me. I just try to entertain my readers. And thanks so much!_

**Cali:**_Hey! Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you're into this fic. There's plenty more action coming up._

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Wow, LONG review. Where to star? Evieor — yes, he is VERY hated. The difference between him and Danny is that Danny doesn't mess with the Ghosts in the Ghost Zone unless they bother him. He just deals with them if they're in Amity Park. Evieor, however, messes with the Ghost Zone _and_ the real world. If you're a fan of "hero-in-distress", then just wait until the later chapters. Danny is going be in serious distress. Let's just say the ghosts will no longer be his greatest worry soon. You're the second person to ask me what Sam pulled out that made Danny nearly dislocate his jaw. I'll give you the same answer I gave my other reviewer. "It was a dress too frilly, puffy, and unimaginably horrible to be described by words. It hurt me to try to imagine it so I just figured you'd get the hint through Danny's reaction."_

"Tucker has actually said something that's smart and has nothing to do with electronics." _He did? O.0 I'm sorry, I forget. I'm up to chapter 20 in writing, so I don't really remember many things that go on in chapter 16. Let me go back and check. . . . . _"A tip to the not-so-wise," Tucker informed. "Don't tick her off when she's wearing a dress. It's just as bad as sticking your head in a tiger's mouth."_ Was that it?_

"I was wondering what was going to make up Evieor's army cause he's not exactly a very popular ghost in the Ghost Zone." _Evieor's army consists of those hundreds of little shadow-like creatures AND the ghosts that gave him a power (like Ember, Vlad, Spectra, etc. and any other ghost that doesn't really have a very good power but is still willing to help him like Skulker and several others I can't think off the top of my head right now) The ones against Evieor are those who did not give him a power and are not willing to help him. _

Is the person speaking above Danny, Vlad? I think it's either Vlad or Evieor. I wonder what's going through Danny's parent's minds right now. _You'll have to find in this chapter who was speaking to him. And as for Danny's parents, you'll see them later on, and Maddie — well, you'll find out. It relates to her in Amity's Hero. I hope this fic continues to grab your attention. It's going to get a lot more complicated soon._

**Sqweakie the Wonder Mouse:** _Hey there! It's great that you're "sucked in"to this fic. The only way to find out what happens next is to read, read, read!

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 17- Transformation

Danny moaned and sat up, but was instantly knocked back down by someone's foot. He looked around from side to side in search of his friends, but they were nowhere in sight.

"Where are Sam and Tucker?" he demanded. The figure above him smirked and bent down, resting one arm on his knee as he pressed down on Danny's chest with his foot. The other hand lit up in a fiery red glow.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Danny narrowed his eyes in anger, but they remained blue. His rival laughed.

"What happened to the scary eyes?" he taunted.

"Get off!"

He pushed Vlad's foot off of him and got to his feet immediately.

"I'm giving you three seconds to tell me where they are!"

"Temper, my dear boy. I think you have matters far worse to deal with at the moment."

Danny clenched his hands into fists and Vlad laughed again.

"What's the matter? You don't believe me? Well, then, look for yourself."

He pointed to the smoke at the end of the room. It was too thick for Danny to see through. He looked back at Vlad.

"How do you expect me to see past that?"

"You can walk can't you?" the adult halfa shot back. Danny threw him a glare before cautiously taking a step further. He double checked to make sure his enemy remained a great distance away before continuing.

"What's beyond this?" he asked when he reached the tan colored smoke.

"Why don't you go find out? What do _you _have to fear? After all, if you _do_ fall, you can always fly back up, right?"

Danny's heart skipped a beat. Plasmius didn't know about his fight with Valerie. And he wasn't about to let him find out. Reluctantly, he took a step forward . . . and then another . . . and then another.

This time, his foot didn't land on the floor. He stumbled forward and screamed in panic, desperately waving his arms to try to regain his balance before he fell. Finally, when both feet were on solid ground, he looked up and gasped. The sky, now so dark it was practically black (aside from the streaks of crimson that remained but were quickly fading), was clouded and dreary. The town below was nearly completely obliterated by the mysterious blast. If he fell, he'd be falling into what seemed like an endless dark abyss.

The only remaining part of Amity Park was a small, jagged, circular section of houses and buildings on a piece of land that looked as if it was floating in the darkness. Lights were still visible through most of the windows. Even as he observed it, a few pieces of the dirt and stone chipped off the edge and fell. In a few seconds, they disappeared into the black.

Danny turned around and saw the smoke wall behind him. It was strange how he was in Sam's house, yet they were floating no less than fifty feet above Amity. Or at least that small little piece of it.

"An illusion?" he muttered. And strangely, Vlad heard him.

"Very good, Daniel. But not quite right. It's a little more than an illusion. It is a reality. But an alternate one," his voice echoed from behind the tan wall.

"An alternate reality?" Danny asked. "You mean this will go away?"

"Mmm, it might," Vlad mused. Danny was getting aggravated.

"It will!" he shouted. "I know it will. If I defeat you again."

"Ahhh, but that's just it. You _won't_ defeat me again. You see, I've learned from my mistakes."

Danny, who continued to stare at the wall of smoke separating him from his rival, took a step forward and continued to walk until he was back in his friend's room.

Vlad was standing in the same spot since he left. But there was someone else now too. There, right beside him, was an oval-shaped form of black energy and none other than Sam was trapped inside. She tried to pull away from it, but ropelike waves of energy were wrapped around her wrists, pulling her back. Her legs up to the knees were covered in it as well.

"Sam," Danny muttered.

"I'm going to make this quick. Surrender or the girl's mine," Plasmius said.

"Let her go!"

"You have five seconds."

"Plas—"

"Five."

"Danny!" Sam called.

"Four."

_Don't do it!_ Sam said, but her voice was muted. A faint barrier was beginning to form around her.

"Three."

"NO!"

He dashed forward, regardless of what the consequences might've been. Vlad held out a hand and a faint red glow was emitted.

Danny reached out a hand as he ran and Sam, finally forcing her arm out of the darkness' grasp, did as well. For some reason, he felt himself slowing down. Either that or Sam was being pulled back. Still, he continued to run, reaching out to her.

The ropelike waves of energy began wrapping around her wrist again and she struggled.

"Sam!" Danny cried. She looked down at his feet and he followed her gaze for a second, still running with his hand outstretched. The same thing that was holding her was now wrapping around his ankles.

"How pathetic you both look," Vlad said with a smirk, still keeping his glowing hand up just incase. Danny ignored him and continued struggling, though the force was now binding his feet to the ground and preventing him to move as it slowly began wrapping around his knees. Finally, Sam lunged forward, managing to break the binds around her wrists long enough for her to reach out. Danny leaned forward as well and the tips of their fingers touched. He leaned a little forward and they were about to grab each other's hands.

And in an instant, she was pulled back and he continued to fall, grasping plain air. Just before his face hit the ground, whatever was tied around his ankles wrapped around his torso and pulled him back into the air. It was now around his arms as well. When he looked up, he saw Sam still with her hand out. She shouted something, but the barrier had now completely formed and her voice was muted again.

And then in an instant, she faded into the darkness and was gone.

"SAM!"

He struggled again, but it was no use. She was gone. Both her and Tucker.

Suddenly, the binds disappeared and Danny fell back onto the ground. Vlad laughed cruelly and wiped a tear from his eye as Danny got up on his hands and knees and looked up.

"You have no idea how pitiful you look right now."

_Where are they?_ he wanted to ask, but instead, he pushed off the ground with his hands and charged at Vlad. The halfa stopped laughing immediately and created a red ectoplasmic shield just in time. Danny punched it with all of his strength, but a searing pain went through his hand and he winced. The rage and fury building up inside of him ignored the pain and he punched again with his other hand. Vlad floated back slightly as the teen continued landing harsh blows at the shield.

"It's — no use! You can't punch through an ectoplasmic—"

"Bring her back!"

He aimed another punch, but Vlad moved his hand (along with the shield) to the side and shot a powerful red beam with his free hand. It hit Danny directly in the chest and he flipped back, landing on his stomach.

"I see you can't go ghost," the older halfa guessed. "Not even _you're_ stupid enough to forget to transform by now."

"Bring them back!" Danny repeated, getting to his feet. Vlad fired another ghost ray, but he jumped out of the way.

"Come on, transform."

He continued to shoot ectoplasmic beams and Danny easily avoided them.

_Why?_

Something wasn't right. Why was Plasmius holding back? And why did he want him to transform?

A sharp pain went through his chest and he flew back suddenly.

"You're not even trying Daniel."

Danny took a deep breath. The urge to fight was easily overpowering his self control. It was only a matter of time before he did something stupid and ended up getting himself into more trouble than he needed.

Once again, his thoughts were disrupted by another ectoplasmic energy blast. He was thrown into the wall and slid down onto the floor.

"Avoid _this_!"

Vlad raised his hands high above his head and then brought them down. Red energy flowed behind them and took the shape of a large curved blade. It cut into the floor and advanced on Danny. His eyes widened in both shock and fear.

On instinct, he raised his hands and, to his surprise, caught the blast. Vlad's eyes widened as well. Danny felt the force begin to push him back. He gritted his teeth in concentration and tried to push it back, but it was slowly pushing into him. If he let go now, it would cut right through him.

Vlad, too, was now exerting a great amount of force and concentration into his attack. He didn't know how Danny had managed to catch it, but he wasn't going to give up that easily.

Danny couldn't hold on much longer. His hands were in excruciating pain and he wanted to let go, but the extra effort Vlad was now putting in to add to the blast's force definitely wasn't something he wanted to experience.

"I'm going ghost!" he cried finally. He wasn't sure whether he saw a flash or not, but he definitely noticed a difference when white strands of hair fell in front of his eyes. For a second, his hopes rose . . . until he noticed that his hands were not in gloves and he was still wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

Finding his distraction a perfect advantage, Vlad broke through Danny's defense and the energy blade knocked the teen back.

He screamed in pain as the cool air rushed against his back. He didn't know how many flips he had done, but the tan smoke around him definitely wasn't a good sign. Danny saw the remains of Amity Park and the black "abyss" below and reached out a hand to grab onto something. Fortunately, he managed to grab the ledge.

In only five seconds, the dark shadow of Vlad appeared through the smoke as he stepped out and looked down at the dangling teenager.

"And here I thought you'd actually be willing to put up a fight for your friends," Vlad began. Danny wanted to shout back, but thought it'd be best not to infuriate him. Especially now that he was hanging over what seemed to be an endless fall at the mercy of his all time greatest nemesis.

"It's a shame I have to beat you like this. Not even a memorable ending to such a tragic hero. Great transformation by the way," Plasmius commented, bending down and pulling at Danny's bangs. He narrowed his eyes and gave him a look of pure loathing. Noticing the absence of Danny's flashing green eyes (that were usually triggered when he gave Vlad that look), he stood back up and smirked.

"How pathetic. I was hoping for a more interesting final match."

"You can wait a few days until my powers return," Danny suggested.

"And then what? You're a threat again. And we can't have that, can we? After all, I intend to win _this_ war since you thwarted me in the last."

"You're not going to," Danny shot back. "It's about time you stop chasing after false dreams, Vlad."

At this, he did not laugh. For the first time that evening, Vlad glared. Danny knew very well that he had lost many dreams . . . including the one of him marrying Maddie. And that never failed to anger him.

"Insolent little—"

He raised a glowing purple hand and brought it down swiftly. Danny raised his legs and kicked off the ledge (tilting backwards slightly) just as Plasmius' hand hit the floor he was holding onto. It burned in an instant and fell as dust beside the falling halfa.

Danny felt the wind once again rushing at his back as he watched Vlad steadily getting further, looking down on him from above with the ground slowly crumbling beneath his feet. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he was now falling into the endless abyss without a single friend to help him out.

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_No ghost powers. What's a halfa to do when he's at the mercy of his greatest enemy? Not much I suppose. How's he going to get out of this one? And what's become of Amity Park? Find out in the next chapter! And thanks once again to my reviewers! The list (mentioned in the beginning of chapter 12) will be in chapter 19!_


	18. Awkward Alliances

_Okay, I'm done writing the second to last chapter of _Fading Remembrance_. Just one more left and then I'm done. You guys are nearing the end. Don't worry though, still a few more chapters to go._

_Updates aren't going to be as quick now. Chapter 19 will be put up next week. It's a short chapter, but Chapt 18 is 22 or 23 pgs on Microsoft so at least you get one long one._

_I MIGHT put up a sneak peek of the last chapt in my profile. I'm not too sure. It depends on my mood. _

_Thanks once again to my reviewers! You guys are beyond awesome! _

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny**: _Danny's never in a good situation. As for that _"He's smart"_ comment, I don't know . . . he's a C student. LoL. He's kinda slow when it comes to these things. But then again, he's Danny. He _has_ to think of something. "_And you're so good at this, that you make him act just like the real Danny. It's awesome!"_Wow! Thanks! I'm so flattered. I like keeping the characters in-character. Good to know that it's working :)_

"(im mean? aw, i know you don't really think that. lol)" _Of course I don't. I'm just playing :D_

**JK rulez:**_ Danny's in BIG trouble, yes. His friends just keep appearing and disappearing, he's pretty much going solo now. Well, not really. As you can see by the title of this chapter, he's getting a few more . . . very strange . . . allies. Can you guess who? LoL, don't bother. The chapter's here — you might as well just read. Oh and yes, Danny's powers are still out as you can see from his transformation. That leads to another problem. He's Danny Fenton with white hair. That's going to be hard to explain to his parents if he sees them before he changes back._

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Plenty more action to come. I'm already writing the last chapter of FR. LOADS of action there. And a few twists too. Alright back to the review — yes Danny caught the blade. It probably wouldn't be possible for him normally, but he's really determined now, so that might've triggered a few of h s hidden powers. And therefore, when he transformed, he managed to at least get white hair, even though everything else stayed the same. But that just goes to show that a) his powers might be returning and b) his mood controls his powers a lot. BTW, I have to give you credit here . . . you are really smart. You make all the right guesses. _

**Katiesparks:**_ Yes, what matters is that you're back :) Thanks for reviewing. It is very appreciated. Welcome back! LoL Now Fading Remembrance is purple, so you can't forget it! Ha! Or to make it easier, just put it on story alert._

**Livinglife:**_ Hey! It's been a while. Yes, the sequel is here! It fills me joy to hear that you find this "just as good if not better" than Amity's Hero. There's lots more to come. In your review to Amity's Hero, you wrote that you loved the ending. I can assure you that this story's ending is twice as long and probably has double the action and twists.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 18- Awkward Allies

Danny felt the wind rushing against his back. He wasn't sure how long he had been falling. Five seconds perhaps? It felt much longer as fear overtook any other emotion that set into his mind. How was he going to get out of this one?

And worst of all, what would happen to Amity Park without him? He closed his eyes and waited, trying to push back all the thoughts and focus on one thing.

"I'm going ghost!" he announced, waiting . . . hoping for something to happen. But it didn't. He tried again with no success. A sudden anger at Valerie rose within him, but quickly diminished.

Why didn't she believe him? How many times had he apologized? Because of this constant feud, she has now left him powerless in one of the worst things to hit Amity since . . .

He couldn't even find an occasion this bad.

Danny sighed and looked up. What was left to be done now? _Nothing . . ._

Maybe with any luck, he would hit something soft. Even if it was the Ghost Zone ground, he would prefer it than . . .

He looked over it shoulder. Still black. Was there anything even under him? Then, looking to the left he saw the small section of rugged and cracked land that was now Amity Park. What remained was less than ¼ of the actual thing. Cracked buildings — about three seemed unharmed compared to the rest — and, of course, dark skies.

Danny squinted his eyes. The sky, rather than being black as the rest of their surroundings, was a dark midnight blue with many stars patched around it. It blended into the darkness and made Amity Park stand out amongst the rest of the . . . dimension, was it? The ruined city almost seemed alive. Lights in buildings were on. People were all gathering around, just now starting to notice that if they kept walking, the floor would disappear and they would be left looking down at nothing. It was strange how the town just remained there, suspended in the darkness, and yet so still as if something were holding it in place.

Danny just now noticed how it was now passing above him. He had to look slightly up to see it. But with a normal fall, he would've only managed to see a glimpse of it. How was it that he was just being able to look at Amity long enough to feel as if neither he nor it were moving?

Something wasn't right. He was falling very slowly.

"What the heck?"

"So you finally noticed huh?"

"Wha—?"

Danny tilted his body to the right, finally pulling his gaze away from Amity Park. To his surprise, Vlad was standing right beside him. Well, not exactly standing. His cloak was floating above it, gently moving in the breeze as he descended with his arms folded over his chest. He was in midair, falling — or floating — up to Danny's level. Danny tried to pull himself up so that he, too, would be on his feet, but no matter how hard he tried, he remained on his back.

"Rather slow isn't it?" Vlad asked, gesturing around with his hand and then placing it back over the other. "Don't forget, Son, this place is an alternate reality. Yes, it would go away if you were to defeat me — I'm sorry,_ us._" (At this, Danny seemed confused.) "However, as long as you are in here, you can never really be sure of what will happen. This place has a few unexpected . . . how would you say? _Twists . . ._"

"Twists?" Danny repeated.

"Yes, not everything is as it seems, Daniel." He said his name with a sudden unease. "Now, as for that remark—"

Danny noticed a purple glow light up the dim surroundings.

"I would've waited for you to reach the bottom of this pit had it not been that your fall was too slow for my impatience. So I guess I'll be finishing you off right now."

Without warning, the vampire-like halfa lunged forward. Danny braced himself for the oncoming attack, but nothing happened. He opened one eye and gasped. A giant mass of black fur in a torn green sweat suit was floating between him and Vlad.

"Wulf?"

Wulf, now struggling to fight back Vlad's furious blows, looked slightly over his shoulder and smiled.

"Wulf help friend when friend needs help," the beast-like ghost said with another encouraging smile before returning to his battle. Dann's eyes widened in remembrance.

"_Wulf visit and help friend when friend needs help . . ."_

How long had it been? Danny looked up.

"Wulf! I need you to do me favor."

"NO!" Plasmius yelled angrily. "_No more favors!_"

In one swift movement, he swiped Wulf's chest with his hand. The ghost cried out in pain and released him.

"WULF!" Danny cried. His companion staggered back and fell, now alongside him, though for some reason, he was falling quicker. Danny reached out and grabbed a hold of him just in time. "Wulf, get up!"

A trail of green blood was emerging from the deep cut on his torso. It looked all too familiar. Danny put a hand to his cheek subconsciously as he continued to stare at his fallen friend.

When he realized his hand was on his face, he brought it back down to hold Wulf up and looked up at the adult halfa diving down with one purple hand raised.

"Plasmius!" He took a deep breath and looked down again. "Wulf, I need you to transport me to Amity Park . . . right now."

Wulf grumbled slightly and Danny's hopes rose. Suddenly, a strange warmth reached his back and he turned around, only to see a purple light directly in front of him.

He quickly ducked and Vlad passed over him. He stopped flying and turned around.

"Wulf, now!" Danny urged.

"No, not now," Vlad said as Wulf raised his arm. "Not _ever_!"

He reached out to grab him, but Wulf had already swiped his claws through the air. The black separated to reveal a section of Amity Park. Danny quickly helped Wulf through. Once on the grounds of Amity Park, he collapsed onto the sidewalk and closed his eyes. Danny bit his lip in fright.

He leaned towards the portal and grabbed onto the edge just before he fell too far to reach it. Quickly pulling himself up, Danny tried to bring his body forward to pass through it, but Vlad grabbed his leg just before he could manage.

"Don't even think about it!" he snapped. Fortunately, he held him with his non-glowing hand. Danny struggled but was pulled back. He held onto the edge, but Vlad was easily overpowering him.

"Let go of me!" Danny yelled, finally kicking out with his free leg and hitting his nemesis in the chest. He flew back a few inches and narrowed his eyes. Danny was climbing through the portal again.

Vlad gritted his teeth and flew back towards the younger halfa at full speed.

"One of these days, you won't get so lucky! Mark my words, Daniel, _you will fail_!"

Danny, who was now halfway in Amity Park, looked over his shoulder to see a white blur speeding through the darkness at the other side of the portal. He turned around so that he was sitting on the edge.

"Don't worry. That day's not coming anytime soon."

Kicking out again, he managed to catch an unexpected Vlad in the jaw. He cried out and Danny took the chance to jump completely through to the other side. Once he was on the sidewalk of Amity Park, he pulled Wulf up and supported him on his shoulder.

The weight of the beast caused Danny's knees to buckle slightly and he nearly fell too. However, the angry cry behind told him he had no time to mess up. Gathering all the strength he could muster, Danny began to walk, dragging Wulf with him.

His block was one of the few that remained. His house wasn't too far either. Well, it wouldn't have been if not for the fact that he was carrying at least 200 pounds on his shoulder.

"I should've taken weight training instead of PE," he mumbled with difficulty, steadily growing numb. When they reached the stairs, Danny set him down beside the door and winced. He doubted he was going to be able to feel his arm for at least a week after that.

"Thanks a lot, Val," he whispered angrily, remembering that it was her fault his super strength was diminished.

Once inside, he dragged Wulf onto the sofa and took several deep breaths. The house seemed too quiet.

"Mom? Dad? Jazz!"

There was no reply. Danny heart began to beat rapidly. Where were they?

"Kujo?" he whispered. Completely forgetting about the fact that he had left a ghost in his living room, Danny sprinted up the steps two at a time and rushed into his bedroom.

His bed sheets were sprawled out on the floor and there was a large burnt hole in the wall directly under his window. Smoke was faintly emerging from it. Danny was at a loss of what to say. He opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Finally, he put his hands to his head, gritted his teeth, and then reached out towards the wall.

"MY ROOM! . . . My . . . _Wha—? _Kujo!"

He looked around, but the puppy was gone.

"Kujo?" he repeated hopefully, looking around and throwing things out of his way. Still no reply. Just as he stood up, a loud echoing bark penetrated the silence and caused him to scream in surprise.

There, just outside the window, was a vicious green dog preparing to attack.

"Kujo!" Danny called. The dog looked up, his adult face full of wrinkles from the angry expression. Suddenly, a random green flare sped toward him and collided with his shoulder. He howled in pain and stumbled back. Danny gasped and looked for the source of the attack. To no surprise, he found his parents with various weapons. Maddie reloaded her bazooka while Jack prepared another sleek but thinner ecto-gun.

"No!" Danny shouted. His first thought was to fly through the window and created a shield, but reality soon caught up with him and he decided to take the stairs instead.

Jack pressed his finger down on the trigger, but before he could confirm the attack, a black shadow-like creature wrapped itself around his weapon and it began to heat up. He yelled out in pain and dropped it. Several more black ghosts appeared from the ground and looked around with their beady yellow eyes.

"Jack!"

"I'm on it!" Jack called to her as he reached out for his portable Ghost Zone bazooka. However, a hand closed around his wrist and pulled him back just before he could grab it.

"Hold it!" Skulker called to the shadows who were now advancing on Maddie. "He's not our ally!"

He pointed to the wounded green dog lying a few feet away. The shadow-like creatures stopped in their tracks and waited, preparing to retreat and assist their side.

"But since we're already here, let's do something about these two," Skulker suggested. Once again, the shadows moved towards Maddie. She aimed her bazooka and began firing. A few were hit, but others either flew, sank in to the ground, or dodged around the ectoplasmic flare.

"There are two many of them!" she called to Jack, who was still in the ghost's grip. "I can't get them all."

A few disappeared into the ground and reappeared behind her. She sensed them, but was too late. They began to wrap around her. Simultaneously, they lifted her off the ground.

"Maddie!" Jack cried. He began to run after her, but Skulker pulled him back. With a sudden rage, he punched the ghost and managed to crack his chest armor. He flew back in surprise and then looked up with narrowed eyes.

"Attack!"

Immediately, two figures appeared at his side. One of them was immediately identified by her flaming blue hair and strange makeup designs. The Fentons recognized her from their previous encounter during the first ghost war when she and Inviso-Bill tried to harm their son in their living room. She raised a hand high over her head and a guitar appeared. She closed her fingers around it and brought it back down in a position that looked as if she was ready to play.

The second ghost was unfamiliar to them. He had white hair tied at the end and wore sunglasses over his eyes. A was cape was fastened to his black button suit.

In unison, both ghosts charged forward and prepared to attack. Maddie gasped in fright and Jack ran by, ripping her out of the shadow-like creature's grip. With no weapons nearby, they continued running.

There was a whistle in the distance and the giant dog raised his head slightly. He barked twice and, panting happily, slowly got to his feet. Immediately, he jumped over Jack and Maddie (who ducked slightly and screamed in fright) and landed behind them, blocking the ghosts' way. He snarled viciously and barked. Technus stopped in midair but Ember flew up and played a chord on her guitar.

Sonic waves appeared and then with another stroke, a powerful blue flame-like blast revolved around them and headed toward Kujo. He jumped slightly back and the blast missed.

Jack and Maddie remained where they were, cornered between the brick wall and the giant green dog blocking their enemies' way of reaching them. Thinking quickly, Maddie reached into her black pouch and began searching through it.

Ember struck another cord, this time with more fury. Another powerful blast was emitted. Before it even reached its target, she began playing different quick paced notes and small flames began showering around them.

Kujo prepared to take the hit, but a small laser shot the nearest ball of fire and it disappeared. It hit another, and then another. When all of the flames had disappeared, Maddie lowered her lipstick and gasped. Ember's first blast was still heading towards them.

Kujo stepped back to block them from it, but just as it was about to hit him, another green form of ectoplasm made impact with it and the two blasts exploded in the air, sending small harmless sparks around them.

Kujo looked up and barked happily again while Jack and Maddie moved around him to see none other than—

Was it Danny or Phantom? The boy had white hair, but his eyes were blue and his attire was what Danny usually wore. He was holding Maddie's fallen bazooka and judging from the various holes in the ground, he had used it more than once.

"What the heck?" Ember turned around and Danny, who had lowered the weapon, looked up and raised it again. Ember released her guitar and allowed it to hang loosely around her neck as she emitted a blue flame from her hands. "Oh no you don't!" she said angrily.

"Allow me," another voice offered. Danny turned his head quickly, but it wasn't soon enough. A fist collided with his face and sent him flying backwards. He landed painfully on his back and the bazooka slid a few inches away.

Maddie wasn't sure whether to be worried or happy. She wanted to shout out "Danny!" but was it really him?

"Maddie!" Jack called. She looked back and raised her hands immediately to catch the weapon he had tossed her. She examined it and a curious expression set upon her face.

"The GRC?"

"Quick! Get him while he's down!" Jack yelled, pointing to Danny. She turned back to the battle and bit her lip, raising her weapon slowly, unsure of what to do.

Danny reached out for the bazooka but Technus blasted it further away.

"Nice look. I'd ask, but I'm not so sure I care," he called to the halfa who was already running (practically on all fours in his hurry) to reach the weapon.

There was another blue flash and Danny was thrust backwards again. When he recovered and sat up, he found the bazooka in many different pieces by Ember's feet.

"Who's gonna help you now?" she asked smugly. Danny shot her a glare and turned around.

He ducked immediately, though it wasn't really necessary. A red beam passed right over him and hit her directly. She screamed and stumbled back, but the force sucked her in and she was soon pulled into the GRC with one last shriek.

"Who's next?" Maddie asked, looking around. Skulker and Technus glanced at each other and smirked. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Get out of here! There are more of—"

He didn't get to finish his statement due to a sudden rumbling in the ground. The crevices from the previous blast began separating again, making the cracks bigger. Danny jumped back before he fell into it.

"Kujo, get them out of here!" he demanded. At once, the green dog barked in obedience and pulled Jack and Maddie up onto his back. He took to the air immediately and retreated, leaving Danny there to deal with the upcoming army.

"Where are your little friends now?" Skulker remarked.

"Right here."

Danny turned his head immediately. Those words had risen his hopes, but the voice definitely didn't. To his surprise, a group of ghosts were now gathered around him — and they were on _his _side.

Desiree was in the front, both hands glowing. She fired two beams of red ectoplasm. Instantly, Sana took to the air behind her and created her own two gusts of wind. She threw them each, one after the other, to speed up Desiree's attack.

"Stand back!" Skulker ordered. Technus and Ember retreated slightly, but she raised her guitar just incase. Skulker pressed down on the armor on his left wrist and a green shield covered them. The blast collided with it and faded. The shield disappeared and he stepped forward with a smirk. Ember and Technus followed. Shadows were now appearing from the ground again and joining the group. They were soon followed by a few of Walker's goons, the Fright Knight, Aragon, Spectra, Bertand, and several other ghosts Danny was unfamiliar with. They must've been the ones fighting with Vlad in the last war.

Desiree and Sana began walking as well. The ghosts behind them followed. Danny was able to see Youngblood, Johnny, Kitty, Dora, the Box Ghost, Klemper, the Lunch Lady, Walker's prisoners (who had no doubt escaped due to the lack of security), and a few of the ghosts that had helped him rebuilt the school a while ago. They were familiar with Wulf.

"You're helping me now?" Danny asked, but no one responded. They continued walking towards the enemy. He looked back and realized both groups were now nearing each other. Anger was set upon the faces of Danny's group while Evieor's and Vlad's looked smug.

Finally, both groups stopped about three feet away from each other and waited. When no one said anything, Sana, Desiree, Kitty, and Johnny simultaneously bent their knees and held their arms bent at their sides in a fighting stance. Different colors of ectoplasm glowed around them and the back of the group followed the same motion. Skulker frowned and the ghosts behind him began getting ready as well. Ember put her pick to her guitar and waited. Technus emitted a glow from his hands. Walker's goons raised their weapons, and the others were too far back for Danny to see.

"It's not very smart of you to go against your superiors," Skulker remarked.

"You would know," Desiree shot back.

"Uh guys—" Danny began.

"Wait, wait, wait. Who exactly are you fighting for and why?" Youngblood asked, earning a few awkward stares from the ghosts on his side.

"Evieor, Plasmius, and anyone else who wants to have supreme control over everything and everyone," Technus replied. Youngblood looked dumbfounded.

"So why the heck are we against them?" he asked Sana.

"Because we didn't give into that creep and kept our powers to ourselves," she replied. By the tone she was using, Danny thought she was trying to get a point through to him. But of course, Youngblood being as dense as he is—

"Then I'm on the wrong side. I might not have a power to give, but hey, the more the merrier."

Nearly all of Danny's army's jaws dropped as they watched him switch sides right in front of them. Sana was the first to recover and narrowed her eyes angrily.

"Stupid little brat! We don't need you anyway."

With that, she ran forward and fired a red ghost ray at him. Ember covered him and played a chord. The blasts intercepted and exploded. Both groups roared out in anger and ran forward. Danny stepped back to avoid getting caught in it. He appreciated the help — despite how strange his army was — but in his state, he'd only be getting in their way.

_I'd better go find Sam and Tucker_.

He turned around to run the opposite direction, but a hand grasped his shoulder and spun him back around. His eyes widened when he looked straight into the mask of Valerie Gray. Thinking quickly, he closed his eyes and pulled away. This was it, she was going to see him in his daily clothes and put two and two together.

But fortunately, she seemed too occupied with something to pay attention to that.

"Where is he?" she demanded. Danny gave her a puzzled look.

"Who?" he asked.

"You know who! Where is Danny?"

He stepped back until he was hidden in the darkness of the alley corner.

"How should I know?"

"Who else would! I want you to take me to him now!"

"Calm yourself Valerie. What the heck are you talking about?"

She looked ready to kill.

"Sam and Tucker have been captured," she muttered angrily. "But he wasn't with the—"

"Where are they?" Danny interrupted immediately. "Are they okay?"

Valerie's furious expression suddenly turned to confusion. She seemed extremely baffled.

_Are they okay? Are you serious_, she thought to herself, but somehow couldn't find her voice to say it. Did he _still_ think he could trick her into thinking that he really cared? She was beyond that already. Finally, she hopped off her jet sled and began walking toward him, raising an ecto-gun as she went. Danny stepped back, but he collided with the wall.

"I won't ask you again, Phantom!"

"How do you still think that _I'm_ to blame for them being kidnapped? You shortened out my powers, remember? I can't do anything."

"Right, like I'm supposed to believe that? You're really clever, you know that?" she said bitterly. "I said I don't know for _sure_ what the Ecto-Depleter did. I just know it will _mess_ around with your powers. That doesn't mean _disable_. You're twisting it around to make me leave you alone. But guess what? It's not going to work anymore."

She pressed down the trigger and fired. Danny screamed and ducked.

"Where is Fenton?" she asked.

"Where are Sam and Tucker!" Danny demanded. "What happened to them? If I know that, I might be able to guess where Fenton is," he added. After a short pause, Valerie lowered her weapon.

"They're in the old vacant building. I tried to save them, but there was some sort of a shield around them. It seemed like a ghost shield, but it repelled humans instead. I'm not allowed in and they're not allowed out. Where are you? Show yourself!" she demanded. Danny crouched behind a garbage can.

"What building? He asked. Before he could listen to Valerie's reply, there was a loud noise and a pink flash. In seconds, the garbage can was turned into dust and he was staring right at her weapon. Danny gasped. If he didn't escape from her immediately, he would definitely be exposed.

There was another pink flash and he covered his eyes. But to his surprise, Valerie was the one who screamed. He looked up and saw Sana standing behind them with glowing hands.

"Why am I not surprised? Oh well, I guess we should finish what we started," she said to the ghost hunter. Val got to her feet immediately and Danny noticed a faint glow appearing in her gloves.

"No, Sana! Go help them. I've got this," he ordered, but Sana merely snorted.

"Yeah, I can see that," she said sarcastically.

"Our group is outnumbered. They need you."

"And sadly, we need _you_ too. That's the only reason we're fighting those dwits. And apparently, you are not capable of fighting your own battles, so I've got this."

"Why are you so stubborn?" he muttered angrily under his breath. She shot him a glare and prepared to aim a blast at him but held back. It seemed to be taking all of her self control. Danny ignored her and whistled. Both girls turned to him in confusion (despite the fact that it was too dark to see anything other than his outline), but he had his gaze to the sky. He motioned something and then looked back at them.

"I'm sorry, but you leave me no other choice," he said to Valerie, who now seemed more confused than ever.

"What are you talking abou— AH!"

A giant green dog hit her from behind and sent her flying into the wall Danny was standing against. He caught her just in time and set her down on the ground. Kujo snarled angrily at her and she narrowed her eyes in hatred.

"You again!"

"Come here boy!" Danny called when he was on the opposite end of the alley. Kujo immediately obeyed and ran over to him.

"I need you to do me a favor. Help them now," he said, pointing to the ghosts on his side. "Just follow Sana, and Desiree. They'll let you know who's on our side."

"And where exactly are you going?" Sana asked, appearing from behind the dog.

"I have to go rescue Sam and Tuck."

"Alone?"

"Yes alone. I have no other choice. Like I said, our team needs all the help we can get."

Sana scowled and looked back at the battle. Then suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Danny's shirt.

"You better come back," she warned. "I'm not doing this for nothing."

"I know," Danny said, pulling her hand off of his shirt. She gave him a small nod and then returned to the battle. He gave Kujo a pat and the dog ran after her.

Danny sighed heavily. Right now, he just wanted to lie down and sleep through the rest of this stupid ghost war.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Valerie moaned and stood up. Her head was pounding painfully. That stupid mutt really shook her up. She looked around. There was a giant crowd of ghosts fighting up ahead. Many of them were in the air while others were running on the outer walls of Danny's house. Beams of energy were flying everywhere. She got to her feet immediately and ran out of the way as several of them flew toward her. They crashed into the alley wall.

Valerie glared and raised her ecto-gun. She took aim, but who was she to target? Why were they fighting _each other_?

She lowered the weapon and summoned her jet sled. It appeared beside her and she hopped on. Danny Phantom was her target, and she was going to find him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What building could she have been talking about? Only one entered his mind. The old museum. And sure enough, that was the only vacant one left. It seemed pretty quiet. But then again, he was at least five blocks away from it.

Everything seemed silent now. For a minute, all Danny could hear was the wind rushing against his ears. He listened carefully, hoping to take his mind off the fact that he could barely breathe at this point. Running was definitely not his form of exercise. He slowed down and took several deep breaths. But something wasn't right. He listened carefully. The noise of the wind was still there, but he was standing still now. After a few seconds of relaxing, he finally realized that he was hearing something else. The roar of an engine.

Danny turned around. There was a small dot in the distance. It was steadily getting larger.

_Valerie!_

Taking off immediately, Danny began to run as fast as he could. As he crossed the street, he turned right and hid himself behind one of the buildings.

"Please, change back!" he whispered to himself. With a great amount of effort, he finally managed to get his black hair back. But that also gave Valerie enough time to catch up.

"_Ghost kid changing routes. Turn right,"_ a mechanic voice instructed. Valerie did as she was told and turned right. Sure enough, there he was, not too far ahead. He seemed to have known she was coming because he began running again. But why wasn't he flying?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Where exactly are we going?" Paulina asked as she and her best friend walked along the sidewalk. They were at the Nasty Burger during the time of the explosion. Everyone had evacuated to take shelter, but when they left, most of Amity Park was missing — along with their homes.

"Truthfully, I have no idea," Star replied. "But seeing as we can't go home, I suggest we start looking."

She stopped and Paulina walked into her.

"Hey!" she snapped, waving her hand in the air and examining her nails.

"Fenton," Star muttered. "What if we go to Fenton's?"

"Great idea," Paulina commented, hinting a bit of sarcasm. "Let's go ask him."

Star looked at her quizzically and she pointed across the street. Both girls turned around just in time to see Danny running as fast as he could toward a tall black building.

"What the—?" Star began, but a red and black blur sped past them and followed the halfa.

"Oh crud, Danny's in trouble."

"So?"

Star glanced at her and rolled her eyes.

"So let's go help him."

Paulina snorted and crossed her arms.

"And get into more trouble? Nuh uh. I'm staying right here."

"Ugh, fine. I'll be right back."

Star crossed the street and followed the two. Paulina looked around and bit her lip.

"On second thought, wait up!"

"Danny!" Star called. Danny didn't bother turning around. He didn't know why Valerie was still following his human form, but he didn't stop in fear of the fact that she might've figured out who he was.

In a matter of seconds, the blonde girl had caught up with him, panting heavily.

"Why . . . are you . . . running?"

"Can't talk now," Danny replied. "Valerie . . ."

She glanced over her shoulder at the red clad ghost hunter behind them and gasped.

"That's Valerie? Does . . . does she know?"

"Dunno."

"Star, wait up!"

Star looked over her shoulder again and spotted Paulina. She was a little behind Valerie.

"She'll catch up," Star mumbled, keeping up with Danny. "Where are you going?"

"To free Sam and Tuck."

"Look out!" Paulina shouted. They turned their gaze ahead and stopped immediately. A ghost had appeared from the ground. It eyed Danny carefully and then prepared to dive.

Star ducked and Danny screamed, but the ghost stopped in its dive and fell back several feet. Valerie flew over them with a smoking ecto-gun.

"Come on," Danny said, getting to his feet just as Paulina caught up, breathing heavily.

"Are you serious?" she snapped, beginning to run again. Star followed closely behind.

During Valerie's distraction, the three had managed to reach the building in less than two minutes.

"Where do we go now?" Star asked as she entered behind them.

"I don't know. Check the ninth floor," Danny instructed.

"Why the ninth?"

"Because a lot of stuff usually happens on the ninth," he replied, dashing over to the elevator. They followed reluctantly. By the time Paulina reached the elevator, she seemed ready to collapse.

"Tha- that was . . . more . . . run-ning than . . . than I do in a year," she choked, falling to the floor as the doors closed and they ascended to the ninth floor.

Danny waited impatiently, deliberately avoiding Star's gaze by keeping his eyes on the wall. He could tell she was watching from the corner of his eye.

"What happened?" she asked. Danny looked down at the floor, trying to remember himself.

"Remember when I left to go get Valerie's help?" he whispered, choosing to start from when he last saw Star. She nodded and leaned closer so that he wouldn't have to raise his voice. "Yeah, well, that didn't really go as smoothly as I would've wanted."

"Why? What happened?" Star asked.

And the questions begin . . .

"She shortened out my powers," Danny replied simply. I've been stuck outside of my ghost form for days. Fortunately, some ghosts still think that I'm their last hope against Evieor so they're fighting on my side. One of them, Sana, saved me from Val but, of course, she's back to finish me off."

"Who's Sana?"

"The dream ghost."

For a second, Star seemed puzzled. Then, recalling the fight Danny had had with her in the school hall and her new power, she whispered, "Oooh!" and gestured for him to continue.

"Anyway, I got separated from Sam and Tuck a while ago and tried to save them with my powers but ended up only getting my white hair. To make a long story short, I was rescued by a fellow ghost and then a battle arose near my house. Valerie found me there and thought I was Phantom. She told me that Sam and Tucker had been captured, but Danny Fenton wasn't with them. Shortly after, she returned to hunting me and that's when you and Paulina came."

"Your hair looks fine now," Star pointed out. Danny nodded.

"I managed to change back. But I still can't go ghost."

"Oh, I see—"

She was interrupted when the elevator doors opened and Danny dashed out. Getting immediately to her feet, Paulina followed with Star at her side.

"Split up," Danny ordered. "We can cover more—"

"What's that?" Paulina asked, pointing to a large hole in a wall. That part of the hall seemed nearly demolished. An image of Maddie, Jack, Valerie, and Sana fighting entered Danny's mind.

"This way," he said, leading them to the room. "Agh! It's locked!"

Star and Paulina exchanged glances and walked away as Danny continued trying to open the door. Finally giving up on the door knob, he stepped back and waited a few seconds. Then, taking a deep breath, he began to charge at it.

About a few inches away from impact. The door suddenly swung open and Danny dashed into the room, halting abruptly and stumbling forward a bit.

"Huh?"

Star closed the door and pointed to the giant hole in the wall.

"Oh . . ."

"Danny!" a familiar voice called. Danny turned around.

"Sam? Sam! Tucker!"

A large green dome stood at the center of the room. It greatly resembled Danny's ghost shield. Sam and Tucker were trapped inside, leaning against it.

Danny ran over to them, followed by the two teenage girls behind him. Star could've sworn she saw a hint of jealousy in Sam's eyes when they looked at each other.

"We can't get in!" Danny said, banging against it. It was just as useless as trying to break through steel.

"_I _could've told you that," Valerie said, suddenly appearing in the room with her jet sled in her arm. At first, Danny was alarmed to hear her voice, but it quickly subsided when he remembered that he was now Danny Fenton to her.

"Valerie," he began, but Star cut him off.

"So what now?" she asked. Valerie shrugged and Paulina kept looking back and forth between them.

"Did I miss something here?"

Valerie turned to her so quickly that she winced and put a hand to her neck afterwards.

"Hello?" Tucker called. "Let me remind that we're stuck in a shield that we can't get out of. But that doesn't stop _ghosts_ from coming in."

"Don't worry about that," said Valerie. "I'll take care of them."

At this, Danny gulped. "S-so . . . what now?"

I dunno. I guess we're going to reconfigure this. Your parents built a ghost shield didn't they? It's not the same, but maybe you can try to work it out."

Danny couldn't help but laugh. Valerie raised a brow.

"Y-you want _me_ to try to fix th-this?" he said through chuckles. "Come on, I'm a C student. You can't possibly be serious."

"But your parents are inventors. And the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree."

"So does that mean you expect me to start running around town in a hazmat jumpsuit?"

Valerie paused and mumbled, "Good point."

"Why don't we get Techno-geek over there to figure it out," Paulina suggested. Tucker's eyes widened.

"I've got a better idea," a masculine voice said from behind. She shrieked and jumped around. A vampire-like ghost was floating several feet away from them. Danny gasped.

"Plasmius!"

"Plasmius?" Valerie asked, narrowing her eyes. "I've got him."

Plasmius smirked and turned his attention to her. She hopped onto her flyer and took to the air.

"Valerie don't!"

Valerie's eyes widened. Danny had called her name. How did he know? Her distraction resulted in her being unprepared for Vlad's attack. He fired an ecto-blast at her. Thinking quickly, she flipped back and it flew between her and the flyer (which halted in the air until she landed back on it).

Danny dived out of the way as the blast hurtled toward him. It just missed and managed to leave a small smoking dent in the tiled floor.

"Danny!" Valerie called. She turned back to Plasmius angrily and pressed down with her heel. The side rockets of the flyer shot forward but the ghost waved his hand in the air and created a rectangular red shield. It repelled the rockets and sent them flying back. Valerie bent down, grabbed the sides of her jet sled, and pulled it upward. The rockets crashed into the bottom of it and sent her hurtling back.

Plasmius swung his cape over him and disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Danny got to his feet and held out his arms to catch the falling girl. Just as she was about to reach him, another puff of smoke appeared and Vlad grabbed her suit and pulled her out of Danny's reach. With his free hand, he grabbed the younger halfa as well and pushed them both through the dome.

Both teens landed on their backs beside Tucker and Sam. Danny got up quickly and called out to Star and Paulina as Val sat up, rubbing her head.

"Behind you!" he shouted. Paulina dived out the way at the exact same time Star flipped forward into a handstand and then once again onto her feet. Vlad missed them by an inch and tried again.

"Separate!" Danny advised. Both girls nodded and ran in opposite directions.

"That's not going to work," Plasmius said, spreading out his hands. They began to glow and then he instantly brought them back together. As if there was an invisible force in front of each girl, they were both thrust back right into each other and landed on the floor.

Paulina gasped as she noticed the ghost above them raising his hands again.

"Quick, Raven's Basketball game," she said. Star seemed to get the message and both girls got to their feet immediately. They performed a cartwheel, once again moving in opposite directions. Vlad's blast missed and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Both girls did several quick-paced flips in the air and then kicked out. Plasmius didn't see it coming and therefore ended up getting kicked from each side.

However, he recovered quickly and grabbed each girl's foot before they landed.

"No!" Danny shouted. Paulina and Star were now dangling upside down.

"Ow! The blood is flowing to my head!" Paulina cried out angrily.

"Maybe it can get something working up there," Sam mumbled, receiving a snort from Tucker.

"Look out," Danny warned. The Goth stepped aside quickly as the cheerleaders were thrust into the dome. There was a cry from Tucker as they fell into him.

"Let us out of here!" Valerie demanded as Plasmius approached them.

"I'm sorry dear, but I know for sure that you'll be fighting against my army. And I can't have that."

Valerie narrowed her eyes. Who was he to call her _dear_? He tapped on the dome and chuckled. "I think I've done a pretty good job rendering this shield. It shook keep you all contained long enough for me to take care of this town. And as for you," he said, turning his gaze to Danny, "You're pretty much stuck now aren't you?"

With that being his final word, the ghost turned his back on them and flew away, leaving Danny standing there in an anti-human shield, powerless and in the company of the last two people he wanted to be with—

Love-struck Paulina and revenge seeking Valerie.

* * *

_Okay, this is getting worse for Danny. His powers still haven't returned, his enemies are getting strong, and now he's stuck in an anti-human shield with no way out. And to add to that, if he _does _manage to get back the ability to phase through the shield or something, Valerie and Paulina will be there to see it. What's he going to do? Not many choices are there?_

_Please review! List coming up in chapter 19._


	19. I'll Come Back

_I'm back. Sorry that my updates are a little slow lately. I'm trying to make this story last. Before I go on, I have put up a brief summary of my future story _**Alternative**_ in my profile. If you want, feel free to check it out._

**JK rulez:**_ Yeah, Danny's pretty much stuck here. Only one option, or is there? You'll have to read and find out what happens next!_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ Wow, you _are_ evil _:P_ Then again, I'm the one torturing him. Ha! His fate is in my hands in this story. Let's see what I should do . . . _"this is one of those stories I'll probably read over and over again"_ I hope you have enough patience. LoL. It's over 20 chapters. _

**Blues59:**_ LoL, thanks. Updates might not be as fast now, but at least you won't be waiting weeks. Just a few days._

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ Whoa, long review. Where to start? Ok, a LOT happened to Amity Park while Danny was gone, as you can see. But it can be fixed. As Vlad said in chapt 17, it's an alternate Amity park. _

How's he going to get out of this? Is he going to reveal himself or is he going to get some help from a ghost or his parents? Where did Cujo leave Danny's parents anyway? _Whoa, ok . . . he might reveal himself or he might get help from a ghost or his parents. I can't tell. The answer is in this chapt, so I guess you're going to have to read :) As for Kujo, he's fighting with Danny's "army" now._

"Loving this fic! It's better then the "Amity's Hero" one._" That made my day. THANK YOU!_

**Lt. Commander Richie:**_ Better late than never. I'm glad you like it. And thanks for reading Amity's Hero too. The more reviews, the better. _You_ rock, my friend. And the effects of the gun might last a little longer, but probably not much. You'll have to read and find out. _

**Cali:** _Don't worry, Danny has his ways. He'll come though. And as for Val finding out his secret, she might stop hunting him, or she might not. It depends on her mood. _

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story!_

JK rulez

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* * *

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 19- "I'll Come Back"

Danny was sitting, leaning against the glowing green shield, fiddling with his hands. He had been doing that for the last fifteen minutes. Sam and Tucker had pretty much given up on trying to get him motivated.

How could he have let this happen? He came out so triumphant last time, but now . . . now things just seemed to falling apart everywhere he went.

_"Danny, wait! Don't do this. You know as well as we do that she won't listen. You can do without her."_

_"She's constantly going on and off on whether she likes you or not. You don't know what goes through her mind."_

_"You're better off avoiding her."_

All those warnings that he ignored. If he had just listened, he wouldn't be stuck here right now. Powers, allies, trust — he'd have it all.

_It's my fault,_ Danny repeated again. Vlad was right. He was pathetic. A half ghost hybrid with months of experience and he doesn't even know well enough to trust his instincts.

_So what do you plan to do now?_

_Take him down!_

Danny looked up immediately. That was completely random. He thought it, but did he mean it? . . . Was he _seriously_ having a mental discussion with himself?

He gasped in surprise as a sudden shock went through him. Looking back down at his hands, Danny noticed a faint white light around one of them. It disappeared instantly, but his hopes did not drop. It was his ghostly aura.

"You okay?" Tucker asked. Danny looked up to find his best friends standing right above him.

"Yeah," he said, nodding weakly. Then changing his mind, he mumbled, "No," and looked back down. Sam frowned and got to her knees beside him.

"Danny, you can't keep blaming yourself for everything that happens."

Danny looked up at her and gave a small smile. "You're a mind-reader now?"

She returned the smile and say down next to him.

"So you made a mistake. Things happen. But they happen for a reason. Everything leads to something else. And whether that something else turns out to be good or bad is up to you and how _you_ deal with those mistakes. Trust me, you have no idea how many times I blamed myself for all of your near-death situations. It was _my_ fault that you became half ghost and it was _I _who changed and possibly messed up your life forever, but I also focus on the positives."

"Like what?" Danny said gloomily.

"Well, for one, your parents never give up. They would've returned to working on that portal anyway. And when they got it to work, ghosts were going to come out of it whether you liked it or not. At least now we have _you_ to send them back. I mean, hey, without you, Amity Park would have been gone ages ago. Ghost hunters may stop most of them, but they don't stand a chance against all of them. They would lose, no matter what. But now _you're_ here as a half-ghost hybrid. And you're the only real threat to them — the only thing that stands in the way of them and Amity Park. Without you, we don't stand a chance."

Danny looked up at her and smiled. She returned it and continued.

"And two, if I hadn't messed up with that incident, I wouldn't have realized all of this. And if I hadn't messed up with that incident, our lives wouldn't be this exciting."

He and Tucker both laughed at that.

"Wow, Sam. That's really deep. Do you stay up all night thinking about these things?" Tucker asked. She shrugged and folded her arms over her knees.

"When I feel really bad about things and blame myself for it."

"You're really wise. Where were you when I needed therapy?" Danny asked.

"Waiting behind Spectra." She made a face and shook her head.

He got to his feet and nodded at the three girls before them. "So how's everything with _them_?"

Sam shrugged and looked ahead. Valerie was isolating herself from everyone. She was standing against the dome with her arms folded. Paulina and Star were discussing something.

"What're they talking about?" Danny asked. Once again, the Goth shrugged.

"Probably rehearsing more cheerleading moves," she said with a smile. However, it disappeared as she set a serious expression on her face. "So, um, I guess Star's pretty much been updated on the whole ghost thing, huh?"

Danny nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew she was going somewhere with this.

"Did you two become . . . you know . . . more than friends over the past few weeks?"

Danny's eyes widened and he held out his arms in front of him.

"No! No way. Just friends. That's it."

Sam laughed at his reaction, feeling a great satisfaction deep inside. There was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds so she decided to change the topic.

"So what's next, ghost boy?"

Danny sighed and looked at the floor. He had asked himself that so many times and still didn't come up with an answer.

"Nothing, I guess. I'm pretty much stuck. I have no idea when my powers will be returning. And besides, even with them, my only option is to go ghost and phase through this."

"Yeah, I think we'll cross that one off," Tucker stated, shooting a glance at Valerie. "Still, I don't think Vlad knows Valerie shortened out your powers. So in that case, he probably expects your only option to be the latter."

"Yeah, that piece of information doesn't help us," Sam pointed out.

"It might later," Tucker said. Sam and Danny raised a brow at him and he frowned. "Nevermind. I'm out of ideas and can't do anything but babble."

"You know what I'm wondering?" Star asked, suddenly appearing beside Tucker. She tapped the shield. "How the heck did he get an anti-human shield? I doubt he stole it from your parents. They wouldn't make something to our disadvantage."

"He modified it," Sam said, feeling a little less jealous of Star now.

"But where the heck would he have gotten a ghost shield?" Tucker asked. Danny was about to wander off in his own thoughts to try to figure out a way to escape until Tucker's words caught his attention.

"Skulker," he said to Star. She looked at him quizzically.

"Who—?"

"Skulker! He stole my parents' ghost shield. That day when I was training you in the lab."

"What?" Sam and Tucker said in unison. Star's eyes widened and she mouthed "Oh!"

"Wow, these villains really think things through," she said as an afterthought. Danny turned to Sam.

"Not everything," he said with a smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, they think they've got me trapped here just because my only way out would be to transform in front of Valerie. But assuming I wouldn't is a big mistake."

This time, Sam was confused.

"Hold up, Danny. You've lost me."

Danny held out his hand and showed it to her. His aura had returned.

"You're right about one thing. Sitting here and blaming myself for making a mistake isn't going to fix it. If I want to stop them, I've got to make sacrifices."

"Wait, wait, wait. That's not what I said."

"No, but it's what _I'm_ saying."

Star eyed him, looked back, and then turned to him again.

"You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do . . . are you?"

"That depends. What're you gonna do?" Sam asked.

Danny turned his head to left and she followed his gaze. There, just beyond the green light of the shield, was a giant window replacing the wall. Beyond it, chaos could be seen throughout Amity Park. Ghosts were everywhere. People had abandoned their hideouts and were now running on the streets. It didn't seem like they were trying to get to a certain place. Now it pretty much looked like their only concern was to get out of the ghosts' way.

"What's going on?" Valerie asked, appearing beside them with Paulina. Star was the only one who acknowledged her, but she didn't answer. Sam turned back to Danny.

"I'm coming too," she said immediately, catching on to what he was going to do.

"They're not fully back yet," Danny said, referring to his powers and ignoring her, "but I think it'll be enough to get _me_ through. As for you, I'll come back with help—"

"No! You're not going out there alone!" Sam said angrily. "I don't care if they're not fully back. You can at least try. I'm not letting you fight alone. Either take us with you or stay here."

She gestured towards Tucker and he nodded in agreement. Danny looked at the window again.

"I can't. If I try, I'll use up all of my energy. And I need that for the fight—"

"You're not fighting alone," Sam insisted.

"We wanna help," Tucker chimed in. Valerie and Paulina seemed to be confused beyond words.

"If you try what?" she asked.

"It's too dangerous," Sam said, now with a certain fear in her tone. "You can't do it alone. You might not come back."

Danny was about to cut her off, but those words made him stop. A few seconds passed in silence as he looked guiltily at the floor. She and Tucker waited for his reply.

"Whether I live or die," he began, turning his gaze back up at them, "I promise I'll come back . . . either as Danny Fenton or as Danny Phantom."

Danny closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. All of his concentration was now set to one thing. He shut his eyes tighter as a strange pain surged through him. The dark crimson room suddenly flashed black and white and two light blue rings appeared at his waist and moved in opposing directions.

A new figure now stood before them. A DP symbol was set on his suit. He looked up at the four figures before him and narrowed his glowing green eyes.

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_I'm terrible, I know. Well, yes, that was an evil cliffhanger. I enjoyed writing it. Please review! More reviews earn a quicker update._

**Sneak Peek **

Chapt 20- Fear Alive

_Now that she was thinking about it, both of them had many similarities. They seemed to be around the same age. Both were kind of clumsy. They both had potential when they set their minds to it. Phantom appeared to be weak when fighting against her and Jack, but he showed his true colors at the end of the Ghost War. And although Danny Phantom seemed like the enemy, he was pretty harmless. Actually, he was very helpful. She had not forgotten that he saved her recently. He seemed to save a lot of people lately. _

_Maybe he and Danny did have a very strong bond. _

_"But that's not possible," she said aloud, getting frustrated. "It can't be — Unless . . ." _

_Suddenly, her hopes rose. There was something . . . _


	20. Fear Alive

_I'm back! Okay, first off, I would like to apologize to all of you. When writing this chapter, I was so into it that I just kept adding new ideas and, well, it turned out to be kinda long . . . 30 pgs on Microsoft Word. Once again, I'm really sorry. Please bear with me. There's action, suspense, drama, and probably some more genres all in this one little chapt. And I'm pretty sure that your jaw will be on the floor by the time you're done reading it, but I don't really know. It all depends on your reaction. Anyway, have fun! Oh, and grab a snack. You might be sitting here a while._

_Thanks to every single one of my reviewers! The list in chapt 19 has been updated with a few new reviewers. I just want to say that my heart filled with joy when I received my reviews. Thank you all so much!_

**JK rulez:**_ First off, I would like to recommend that you get a hat for your current hair "problems". Secondly, I would like to beg that you leave my hair on my head — I like it that way, thank you. And third, if you didn't like that ending, wait until you read this chapter. (Just so you know, I'm very afraid of you right now) LoL . . . I'll go hide behind my fortress of pillows._

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny:**_ Yep, they all know. But trust me, that should be the least of Danny's problems. You'll find out why in this chapt. If you like seeing him tortured, you're going to love it. But this is just a taste of what's REALLY coming up (Chapter 21) Okay, I should stop talking now before my reviewers form an angry mob and track me down._

**Ohka Breynekai:**_ Welcome back. I'm so sorry to have left you hanging there with that evil cliffhanger but it's okay because I updated :D . . . Please don't hurt me. This chapter's much worse than the last. A million different things are going on now. And yes, that was Maddie. But whether she figured out whether Danny is or isn't Phantom is not really definite. Oh yeah, avoid becoming a glob of goo. It's going to be really hard to read and review if you have no hands. LoL_

**Lt. Commander Richie:**_ He might not have to explain, yet. Who knows, maybe he'll get out of there before they recover from the shock. But either way, he's still in very hot water. Whichever way he turns, there's always going to be a problem now. Unless he can stop it that is . . . _

**Katiesparks:**_Great cartoon. It was fun to read. I'm kind of frightened now though. Please control your anger, for this cliffhanger is much worse and I would like to have my body in one piece. Thanks!_

**Phantomshadowdragon:**_ LoL, nah, Danny's still the same Danny in this alternate reality. Actually, the alternate part is really only affecting Amity Park. Hm, it's kind of complicated. Okay, Amity is now in a sort of different dimension. That's the alternate part. If Danny wins the war, then Amity Park will be whole again and will back in the real world. Any physical damage that happens will disappear (but keep in mind that any damage done to it before the Alt Reality will stay) However, the damage done to the citizens will remain (if the damages were serious. If minor, they'll disappear . . . if they're serious, they'll remain even if the war is won) Also, the people will still remember everything — unless . . . Nah, I won't ruin it for you._

**Phantomgirl040304:**_ LoL, you're one of the many people to mention the "evil cliffie" and once again, I shall say that this chapter will be far worse. But it doesn't compare to the next. Okay, maybe I should just let you read._

**Cali:**_Uh oh . . . if you hate evil cliffies, maybe you shouldn't read this chapt. It beats the one in chapter 19. Just don't skip ahead or you won't know what's going on. Plenty of stuff happening here now._

**Purrbaby101:**_ LoL, how many times can a person apologize? It's okay if you didn't review. At least you read it (and reread Amity's Hero) and you're here now so thanks :) This review really flattered me. You know how to thrill an author. And if you like my battle scenes, there's still plenty more coming up. Oh and, the cliffhangers get worse._

**Sasia:**_Hey! A new reviewer. I'm loving the fact that you're enjoying my fic. Lots more suspension coming . . . along with action, drama, yata yata. Danny fights ghosts, you fight evil cliffhangers. Beware, there's one coming up.

* * *

_

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 20- Fear Alive

Danny narrowed his glowing green eyes. No more games. He was going to end this — _now_. Before anyone had a chance to recover from the shock, Danny turned his back on them and flew through the shield.

He tried not to look back at the bewildered faces of the people he left behind, but as he changed his course and flew toward his house, he saw two people. Sam and Tucker were leaning against the shield with their palms. They each had a look of concern set upon their faces. He looked away as guilt washed over him and flew away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"DANNY!" Sam shouted repeatedly. She watched sadly as her best friend flew through the window and joined the people outside. He flew to the left and stopped at the sight of them. She stopped calling him and leaned against the shield. Tucker was beside her. His mouth was slightly open and he looked worried. Danny looked away and flew off.

A tear slid down her cheek as she dropped to her knees. Tucker bowed his head slightly and looked down. Then he too slid to the floor. He turned around as he fell so that his back was to the shield.

Sam turned around as well and sat down, resting her arms on her knees. Valerie, who had been staring wide-eyed as Danny disappeared, shook her head and stepped back. At first, she tried saying something, but her throat constricted and she found it impossible to speak. After five seconds of trying to say something, she found her voice and began to stumble through words.

"He-he's . . . no. Danny? _Danny's the ghost-kid?_" Her voice grew shakier with each word. It was as if someone had suddenly gripped her heart very tightly. Her worst enemy and her so-called "true love" were the same person . . .

All feeling disappeared in her limbs and her knees began to shake, though she was unaware of it. Danny had always been there for her, even when no one else wanted to be. And yet, Phantom had tortured her for so long. What was she to feel? Love and gratification or a burning hatred? It was as if two worlds had just collided. Who was he?

_The boy who I've trusted for so long and even considered giving up ghosts for . . . or the boy who has hated and bullied me for all these months?_

Finally shaking herself out of her dazed state, Valerie forced herself to focus on one thing. One of them was lying, and she was going to find out who.

Star didn't look surprised at all. On the contrary, she had the same worried look Tucker and Sam had when Danny transformed. She turned to Valerie and their eyes met for a second.

Valerie turned toward Paulina to avoid Star's gaze. She was staring at the sky with her mouth open as if her greatest fear had come alive.

"Uh, popular girl whom I despise?" Valerie acquainted, still rather shakily, waving her hand in front of Paulina's face. She remained frozen.

"Leave her. She's just surprised that she's loved someone who's she's hated for so long," Star said.

"Tell me about it," the ghost hunter muttered.

Suddenly, Paulina closed her eyes and shrieked. Valerie pulled back her hand as if afraid that the popular girl would bite. She, Star, Sam, and Tucker covered their ears quickly as the noise filled the room. Paulina's hands were now by her face as if she was crying.

"He's Fenton! I'm in love with_ Fenton_!" she whined. Valerie picked up her ecto-gun and aimed it at Paulina, causing her to scream again.

"Do that one more time and _I'll_ shut you up! You're not the only one who's figured out that most of this entire year has been a lie."

"He hasn't lied to anyone!" Sam defended.

"She's probably worried for the same reasons as you," Star suggested. Sam reacted to those words as if something heavy had just been dropped on her.

"I'm sure that's not what's upsetting her," she said calmly.

"Of course that's not what's upsetting her," Tucker said, standing beside Sam. "If Danny _does_ . . . you know . . . then she'll be stuck with Danny Phantom."

"He's NOT going to die!" Sam bellowed. Valerie lowered the gun.

"Look, if we could get out of this stupid dome, I'm sure Danny would appreciate a little help," she said calmly, though it was obviously noted that she was questioning whether she should or shouldn't.

"But how are we going to do that?" Tucker asked.

"Gee, I wonder," Star said ironically, looking at them all. "We've got a techno genius who can use his PDA to deprogram it, a ghost hunter who's got more weapons in her backpack than anyone can count, two girls who'll stop at nothing to save the one they love, and a motivator who speaks the common sense that all of you lack."

"What do you mean 'two'?" Sam snapped, ignoring her last statement.

"Stop denying it," Paulina said in an annoyed voice. "Everyone knows you like him."

"Oh yeah? And who's everyone?" Sam challenged. "There's something called a _rumor_. I'm not sure if you're familiar with one of those?"

Paulina scowled. "No need to emphasize. I know what it is. But just incase you forgot, let me remind you who danced with him at the spring dance."

Tucker stepped in between the two (even though there was a two yard distance between them) just incase one decided to attack.

"This is no time for argument. We need to get out of here before Danny's in any real trouble," he said, keeping a careful eye on Sam as she clenched her fists. She was normally opposed to violence, but Paulina might've been an exception.

"What you mean 'before he's in any real trouble'? Should I escort you to the window?" Valerie offered bitterly, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the glass behind the dome.

"STOP FIGHTING!" Star screamed. "Tucker, try to find a way to deprogram this thing." She pointed upward at a small metal circle located at where the shield connected. It looked as though it were holding it together. "Va— _Ghost hunter_, try to destroy it with your weapons. Sam and Paulina, try not to rip each others' heads off while we're busy and come up with a plan to help Danny."

"Oh please, she can't do anything to me. She's a vegetarian," Paulina said.

"Here's an idea," Sam interrupted, ignoring that last stupid remark. "Since we have no idea what's going on out there and how we should stop it, how about we improvise?"

"Whatever. Just get us out of here," Valerie demanded. Tucker nodded and took out his PDA.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

His house was coming into view. Danny could see Wulf through the window. He was lying on the living room couch where he last left him.

He dived when he was a few yards away from his house. Hopefully, Wulf's claws would be able to penetrate through the shield that held Tucker, Sam, Valerie, Star, and Paulina captive. But he had to hurry. They couldn't get out, but ghosts could get in.

He looked around for a sign of his parents. The sky was now midnight blue/black mixed with streaks of dark red. Aside from the few remaining street lamps and the constant glows being emitted from either ghosts or weapons, it was almost too dark to see.

Suddenly, he felt as if ten pounds had been dropped on his back and fell a few feet in the air. Regaining his balance, Danny looked up, but there was nothing there. He felt it again, but this time couldn't keep himself up. He began to fall, screaming in panic. There was no one pushing him. It was his own weight returning. He was losing his powers.

He flipped over as he fell so that his back was now facing the floor. There was a painful surge within him and two blue rings appeared at his waist. Before he knew it, he had hit the ground very agonizingly.

Danny laid on the ground for a while after he landed. It was too painful for him to get up. Fortunately, the street he was on was barely deserted. His and Evieor's armies must've moved somewhere else.

The ground was completely destroyed. He wasn't even able to see it within the darkness, but he could tell it didn't feel right. It was as if he had felt a disturbance in the earth as he laid there, head rested against the grass. The battle was going on somewhere else. He could feel it in the distance. People running, ecto-blasts hitting the ground — he could sense it all in the vibrations.

Suddenly, a ghost flew over and he remained still until it passed. After it had disappeared, he pressed his weight onto his arms and sat up.

It had taken a lot of effort to undergo the transformation before. The only reason he was able to pull it off was because he had a powerful desire to. But it wasn't successful apparently. His powers weren't back yet and as a result, he wasn't able to maintain his ghost form for more than a few minutes.

After a few deep breaths, Danny finally managed to get to his feet. That was not a pleasant fall. He turned around and found his house a few feet away.

"Wulf!" he called, taking a step forward. However, as soon as he did, he cried out in agony and fell to his knees. His back was in excruciating pain. Now on his hands and knees, Danny took another deep breath and tried to stand up again.

This time, he ignored the pain and continued walking (or limping) until he had reached the door. To no surprise, it was destroyed. He reached out to twist the knob and the entire door fell to the floor. The noise had disturbed the sleeping beast. He opened an eye and looked around.

"Wulf! You're okay!" Danny said gleefully. Wulf lifted his head off the couch and stared at Danny. He did not return the smile and Danny, in turn, frowned as well.

"Friend is hurt," Wulf guessed. Danny didn't have a chance to reply. The ghost got to his feet, walked over to him, and lifted him up into his arms. Danny winced at the sudden movement and Wulf carried him to the couch and released him. Danny was thrilled to finally get a chance to lean back and rest. The comfort made him forget about what was going on outside until—

"Danny!" Maddie cried. At the same time, he could've sworn he heard Sam's voice saying it as well, though in his mind.

Danny jumped up and turned around, cringing slightly. Jack and Maddie were at the door.

"Have you seen Jazz?" Jack asked. Danny looked around in alarm. Wulf was gone.

"Jazz? No, why? You can't find her?"

"No," Maddie said desperately, running into the kitchen to see if she was there. "We lost sight of her when we were fighting the ghosts. She's gone."

"Ghosts?" Danny wondered. "Where are they?"

"Everywhere!" Jack replied. "You turn around and there's one right behind you. It's mad, I tell yah! They're even fighting each other."

"Jack, we have to keep looking," Maddie said, running out of the kitchen.

"Right—"

"I'll come with you," Danny offered, but his parents immediately disagreed.

"Not a chance. You are to stay here where it's safe," Jack ordered.

"Go into the lab and arm yourself," Maddie added. Just as her husband turned to leave, she stopped and turned around.

"Oh, I almost forgot. We're going to need another bazooka. The more we get back into the Ghost Zone, the better."

"I'll be waiting in the RV," Jack told her. She nodded and headed downstairs while he went to the RV. When the living room was parent free, Danny looked over the couch and found Wulf crouching behind it.

"They've got Jazz now too," he said angrily. "Come on. I need you to break through Plasmius' shield."

Danny climbed off the couch and slowly walked toward the dining room table. A pile of inventions that his parents must've been searching through was stacked on it. He reached in and began looking for something. Finally, he emerged with a midsized ecto-gun.

"I guess I'm going to have to rely on my natural instincts now."

He turned around to find that Wulf was paying no attention to him. Instead, he was staring worriedly at the TV screen. Danny joined him to see what was going on.

The eight boxes that used to be on the top right were now occupying the entire screen. Five of the eight were blank and Danny assumed that they had been destroyed with the rest of the town. The remaining three, however, caught his attention.

The first one showed a distant view of a hectic battle just outside City Hall. The second one showed it from another angle close-up. That must've been the battle Danny's parents were referring to. The people that were armed were fighting back. To his surprise, they were actually holding up pretty well. Experience from the first Ghost War must've prepared them. The center of the screen showed a man Danny recognized as a Casper High teacher. He had shot three ghosts with a GRC. However, one had snuck up behind him. Danny wanted to call out, but then remembered that it would be useless.

Just as the ghost dived in to attack, another figure from the opposite end of the screen jumped up and kicked out. As soon as her foot made contact with the ghoul, she created a red blast and shot it at it while they were both in the air. It hit it and the man captured it in the GRC.

"Nice one," Danny complimented, recognizing her as one of the ghosts on his side. He looked around for Jazz, but she was not there. He then turned to the third square and gasped.

A swarm of ghosts were flying in a group. The image was in a reflection. Apparently, the third camera was in a currently vacant room and the image being viewed was just the reflection of one of the windows. Nevertheless, he was still able to make out a tall black building. And they were headed straight for it.

"Sam! Tucker!" Danny cried.

"Wulf help friends," Wulf said. He nodded and looked at the screen one last time before the two ran out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maddie reached up for a large bazooka settled on one of the shelves. She moved it around and aimed it several times to see if it was ready for use and then made her way back upstairs to meet Jack.

However, she noticed two red marks on the metal and stopped. Those were the marks from her lipstick a while back when she had targeted Danny Phantom. She wanted to leave her mark on the weapon that would rid the town of him. But, of course, it didn't work. He got lucky again.

She was actually beginning to doubt it was luck. Maybe the ghost kid did have talent. She smiled to herself, but then frowned again.

The thought that he had connections with Danny entered her mind again. She had been wondering if it was possible for the last few months. They seemed so alike, and yet so different. It was impossible for Danny to be a ghost and a human at once.

But she couldn't help bringing back the image of when she had looked at him. He looked _so_ much like Danny. It was haunting her ever since.

She placed the bazooka on her desk and sat down. Jack probably wouldn't mind waiting a few seconds. After all, how was she going to fight ghosts with this on her mind?

_So what else do they have in common? Danny's never around when Inviso-Bill is. Well, he was once a while back during that incident where a technological ghost had taken over our house. But even then, he was acting very strange. He was in front of us while Inviso-Bill was behind, and when I turned around they were reversed. _

Hadn't Inviso-Bill appeared about a month or two after Danny's accident?

_That's probably just a coincidence,_ Maddie reminded, making sure not to get her hopes too high. _But he _did_ start acting very strangely. One minute he was there, and then the next . . ._

Could there really have been some connection between her son and the ghost kid? Thinking back, he never really did anything to deliberately hurt the town. Maybe a few accidents, but nothing intentional. The only reason she and Jack started hunting him was because they were told that he started the random ghost attack that night at City Hall. But it was never really proven that he was to blame. They felt for it because he was a ghost.

Now that she was thinking about it, both of them had many similarities. They seemed to be around the same age. Both were kind of clumsy. They both had potential when they set their minds to it. Phantom appeared to be weak when fighting against her and Jack, but he showed his true colors at the end of the Ghost War. And although Danny Phantom seemed like the enemy, he was pretty harmless. Actually, he was very helpful. She had not forgotten that he saved her recently. He seemed to save a lot of people lately.

Maybe he and Danny did have a very strong bond.

"But that's not possible," she said aloud, getting frustrated. "It can't be — Unless . . ."

Suddenly, her hopes rose. There _was_ something . . .

"Genetic Engineering!"

It was so obvious! How had she not seen that before? She got up and began searching through drawers. After pulling several papers out, she skimmed through them.

_There was a blast,_ Maddie remembered. _What if there were restriction enzymes within it?_

Pushing aside the papers, she returned to looking through her drawer.

_If there _were_ restriction enzymes, then they would've cut up different fragments of a ghost's DNA and it would've been fused with Danny's to create recombinant DNA within him. Then, undergoing mitosis, the recombinant DNA would've replicated into millions of others settling with his nucleus as any other DNA strands would, but also giving him every power of a ghost and human combined._

"That's it," she said, finding what she was looking for and sitting back down. "That's got to be it. Danny obtained ghost powers through that accident. Or at least he might have. But then why are his powers more advanced than a regular ghost's?"

Phantom definitely had more abilities than any other ghost she'd fought. And that was strange since he had only been around for a few months. She thought about it for a few more seconds and then turned to the Ghost Portal in hopes of finding her answer within it. And she did—

"The excess energy within the portal that later gets stored within the ecto-filtrator. _That_ must've been the ghost DNA that fused with his. It's not the same as the energy of a normal ghost. That must be why it's filtered. It doesn't match the regular signature, though it is very similar. Almost like RNA is to DNA. Very faint differences, but differences nonetheless."

It was all becoming clear to her now. The same name, the same characteristics, and now an explanation behind the half-ghost theory.

So it _was_ possible.

She held up the pictures that she had found in her drawer. One of them showed Danny and the other showed Phantom. There was almost no difference. "It's possible . . ."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tucker examined the metal surface holding the revised shield together and then looked over at his PDA, which was now connected to it with several wires.

"And we should be ready," he began, pressing something on the screen, "now. Take it down."

"With pleasure," Valerie replied, raising her one of her many gun-like weapons. "Stand back."

The other four did as they were told and retreated a few steps. She pressed down the trigger and fired. At first, nothing happened. Then suddenly, a small white zigzagging line exploded out of it.

As soon as it reached its target, a bright electric flash swerved around the metal piece. The four teens waited eagerly. The electric shock disappeared after a few seconds, leaving the metal a little battered up, but the shield did not disappear.

"Aw man!" Tucker pouted. "Danny's gone, Amity's gone insane, and we're still trapped in this stupid thing. Can things get any worse?"

"Yes," Sam replied, pointing towards the window. "Ghosts! Lots and LOTS of ghosts!"

Paulina screamed and ran to the opposite end of the dome. Star, weaponless, got into a fighting stance beside Valerie who had taken out an ecto-gun.

Instead of breaking through the glass, the swarm of ghosts phased through it and flew into the room. The last three smashed through the window and sent a few fragments of glass around. Sam and Tucker immediately retreated to where Star and Valerie were standing and remained vigilant as ghouls began to form around them.

Without saying a word, they flew in to attack. The first one, nearest Sam, was shot down by Valerie. Star ducked below the ones moving toward her and ran forward to confront the newcomers while Val handled the ones behind.

"Paulina!" the blonde girl called. Paulina shook her head and moved back, but she was pressed against the wall of the dome and was now being surrounded as well.

"Get down!" the ghost hunter ordered, firing another two beams. Paulina ducked as the ghosts were thrust into the wall. She ran towards the other end of the dome and met Star.

"What now?" she asked.

"Double back flip!" Star yelled in panic. Catching on, Paulina and Star did two backwards summersaults in the air and landed perfectly on the ground. The blasts fired by the ghosts had missed and created several holes in the floor.

"It pays to be a cheerleader," Star panted, grabbing a ghost's arm as it aimed a punch. She flipped it over her shoulder and it landed into the pile of ghouls now gathering by Valerie's feet.

She jumped up into the air and fired thrice. Two ghosts were hit, but the third dodged and flew over the blast and towards her. She tilted her body to the side, but it flew past and hit her ribs, sending her towards the wall. Still in the air, Valerie regained balance and tilted her body again so that she landed sideways on the wall and began running, firing another few blasts. This time they did not miss. She pushed off the wall with her heels and turned in the air, shooting up at the metal piece again in hopes of breaking it. However, that did not work and she titled herself backwards so that rotated in the air and landed on one knee. Quickly, she got up to her feet again and aimed her gun.

"Nice," Sam complimented.

Valerie turned around with a smile, but it disappeared instantly and she shouted, "Look out!"

The Goth turned around and prepared a kick, but it was unnecessary. The ghost was knocked off course and landed on the ground. It got back on its feet and she turned around and gasped.

"Danny?"

However, he did not acknowledge her. His eyes were narrowed to a point where it seemed as though his eyebrows had connected. His hands were clenched into fists as he stood up from the squat he landed in after his kick.

Valerie, Paulina, Star, and Tucker turned around. The ghouls and turned in curiosity as well.

"Zeith," Danny muttered angrily. The ghost smirked and faced him.

"Halfa, haven't seen you in a while."

Danny didn't say anything. He wanted to create the usual green flare in his hands when he got angry, but it didn't happen this time. He was stuck as Danny Fenton.

Zeith noticed this as well and lunged forward. He created his own blast and aimed it at the teen. Danny's first thought was to slide across the floor with his ghost powers, but he caught on just in time and jumped out of the way to avoid the attack.

"Go ghost!" Sam cried, but Danny was too focused on the battle to even notice she had said something. Zeith created another blast, but this time from a different side. If it missed Danny, it would go into his friends. The halfa realized this and remained where he was. He raised his arms and tried to create a shield, but once again, he remembered that he didn't have his powers. Although this time, he remembered too late. The blast hit him and sent him sliding across the floor painfully.

"Danny!"

Sam and Tucker ran toward him and each grabbed an arm to pull him up.

"I can't do this," he mumbled. "I'm not used to fighting ghosts in my human form. I keep trying to use ghost attacks, but I don't have them."

"Hey, you can still kick, jump, and punch, can't you?" Tucker said. Danny raised his head and sighed.

"That won't be enough. If he directs an attack at me and I jump out of the way, it will hit one of you. I need a shield."

"Or a weapon," Valerie offered, tossing him her ecto-gun. He caught it and looked up at her. She wasn't smiling. In fact, she didn't seem happy to see him at all. She seemed hurt and confused.

"Valerie, I—"

"Danny!" Star called. He turned his gaze to her and gasped. She was running towards them. By the time he saw her, she was a foot away. Instead of ducking, he dropped Val's weapon and held his hands out together. She jumped up with one foot and he gave her a boost. Zeith stopped flying and tried to dodge the attack, but she kicked out before he had a chance and was knocked into the ground. Star landed in a squat, although one hand was on the floor as well to maintain balance. The other was at her side.

There was an eerie shriek from behind Val and she covered her ears in pain. A ghostly glob had dived down at her. The others had followed suit and began attacking.

Danny dived down to the floor, grabbed the fallen ecto-gun, and rolled back to his feet when one of the ghosts had flown over him. He fired at it and then dived back to the floor to avoid being hit and aimed toward Valerie. The specter had wrapped a slimy tentacle around her wrist and pulled her up into the air.

Danny hesitated before releasing the trigger. Valerie's trust was on the line. The last thing he wanted to do was miss. She screamed as it began to pull her into its green glob-like form. He closed an eye and fired, hoping that it would hit the right target.

With luck, the missile connected with the green mass and it shrieked again, spitting Valerie out of it. She landed on the floor and made a face of disgust.

"I can't fight in a skirt!" Danny heard Sam shout from the distance. He tilted his head upward and, from his position, saw her upside down back-to-back with Tucker.

"Then let me," Tucker said, linking elbows with her. She took the hint and bent forward, pulling him onto her back and he kicked out with both feet. The first two ghosts were hit, but the one behind them grabbed his legs and pulled him away from the Goth. She turned around and gasped.

"Tucker!"

"I've got it!" Danny said, rolling onto his stomach and firing. His shot was off and headed towards Tucker, but fortunately he saw it and ducked. The ghost holding him fell back and released him.

Deciding now was the perfect time, Danny got to his feet and shouted, "Wulf, NOW!"

Wulf, who had been standing on the building roof, pricked his ears and listened carefully. When he heard the signal, he climbed down and began sniffing for the right room.

Still facing them, Danny got down on one knee and covered his head with his hands. The glass behind him shattered as Wulf crashed through the window. He extended his paws and jumped into the air. He began to spin as he flew toward the shield. In an instant, the beast's claws collided with the surface and he stopped spinning. Instead of breaking into it, he stopped with his claws within the wall of the shield. Then, in a quick movement, Wulf separated his paws and the shield separated with him, leaving an opening.

Danny rose to his feet and gave the ghost thumbs up. Then he turned towards Sam, Valerie, Star, Tucker, and Paulina and smiled. They beamed back and ran through the opening one by one.

He followed after them and Wulf released the shield.

"Hop on," Danny called to the five others in the room. He climbed onto Wulf's shoulders and held on. Sam and Tucker obeyed immediately and climbed on. Star and Paulina, however were reluctant. Finally, gathering her courage, Star walked over to them and, with Tucker's help, pulled herself on. Paulina unwillingly did the same.

"I'll fly," Valerie said simply, pressing down on her wrist. Her circuit lines glowed and then the light faded. There was a faint roar as her flyer appeared at her feet. She stepped on and glanced at Danny. Neither of them smiled, but they didn't glare either.

She pressed down with her heel and it rose into the air and took off. Wulf followed after her and jumped through the hole he created in the glass window and climbed on to the rooftop.

"I didn't know Wulf could fly," Tucker said. Danny held on tighter and looked back.

"He can't."

Suddenly, Wulf sprinted to the edge of the roof. The four people behind Danny screamed and held onto each other as he pushed off the edge and leapt into the air.

Danny could feel the wind rushing in his face and squinted. Wulf landed on the next rooftop and began running again. Sam, and Tucker looked terrified, but Star and Paulina were the only ones screaming now. He jumped off again and landed on the next building. Soon, they had caught up to Valerie. She looked to her right and saw them jumping onto different roofs.

"Gee, that seems like fun," she called out sarcastically.

Feeling that her mood had been lightened, Danny was about to call back a remark, but stopped as soon as he looked down. He was used to heights, so the fact that they were over 100 feet in the air didn't frighten him. What he saw below, however, did.

Every ghost imaginable was fighting. Some where battling each other, but they were paying no attention to the people around them. Many were retreating as various blasts began to hit them. A few were lying on the sidewalk unconscious while their comrades were firing GRC's at any ghoul who came near them.

Danny's ghost army wasn't fighting with the humans. They were fighting against Evieor's ghosts and didn't care what was going on around them. They were hurting innocent people.

"Wulf, dive!" he ordered. Wulf turned to the left and Valerie did the same to avoid colliding with the ghost. He jumped off the building and dived. Val changed her course and followed him.

Sam, Tucker, Star, and Paulina were all shouting at the top of their lungs, but Danny ignored them.

"Hop on," Valerie offered. Paulina held out a hand and she pulled her onto the flyer. Star followed her friend and left Danny, Sam, and Tucker on Wulf. They were too frightened to let go now.

Her engines flared and she sped up. Wulf tilted his body so that it was straight when he landed. As soon a he collided with the ground, Danny, Sam, and Tucker fell off from the jolt of the impact. Sam was the first to sit up, followed by Danny and then Tuck. Her hair was disheveled and she was shaking violently.

"Come on," Danny urged, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled a little and then regained her balance.

"_This_ is why I'm a cat person," she reminded them as Tucker stood up beside her.

"Where's the ecto-gun?" Danny asked Wulf. He reached into his shirt and pulled out Danny's parents' green and silver ecto-gun.

"Stay close," he advised Sam and Tucker.

"Like we have any other choice," Tucker said as he crouched behind Sam. She rolled her eyes and followed Danny.

"Where are you going?" Valerie asked when she saw them. Danny turned around to find that she was walking up to them. He noticed her grip her GRC a little tighter when he turned.

She saw him looking down at her hand and sighed.

"Danny — I, I . . ."

She trailed off and looked at the floor. Danny looked back at Sam and Tucker. They got the message and left while the two spoke. When he turned back, she lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Danny felt guilt wash over him. She sounded hurt.

"I — Well, it's kind of complicated. I mean, you started hating me before we became friends. I tried apologizing, but you didn't trust me. You didn't really know my human half well enough and I was afraid that if I transformed, you'd assume both sides of me were evil."

Valerie continued to stare at him, finally listening.

"Then I decided to tell you when we got a little closer, but when I thought of doing that, something else came up and you started hating Danny Phantom even more. So I decided to wait until you and I became closer friends, but the closer you got to Fenton, the more you turned against Phantom. I was afraid that no matter what I tried to tell you, you would still try to destroy me."

"I had every right to hate Phantom. Do you have _any_ idea what you did to me?" she said, poking her finger into his chest as her voice gradually rose with anger.

"Go ahead, give me any time where you think I mistreated you and I'll prove you wrong," Danny said, holding his hands up defensively.

"You've had a lot of time to come up with excuses," Valerie accused snappishly. Then, realizing she was looking into the face of Fenton, her expression softened and she said, "I'm sorry, Danny. I just . . . I just don't know who to believe."

"Give me half an hour of your time," Danny pleaded. "And I'll tell you everything. And then you can choose who to believe."

"It's not that simple," she said, frustrated. "It's so weird. I always considered you to be a great friend. And I always considered the ghost kid to be the worst thing that has ever happened to me. He just seems so . . . I can't even find a word for it, but I hate him."

"Because you always assumed that everything he — or I did to you was to try to hurt you. You always had it set in your mind that I was against you, so no matter how intentionally good my actions were, you always assumed it was for the worst. You were too blinded by your hatred to stop and think that maybe I was trying to help," Danny explained, remembering the conversation he had with Sam about thinking about negatives and positives of a situation.

Valerie looked up at him. Her expression had softened.

"It's a good thing you're in your human form. I probably wouldn't have listened if you were speaking as Danny Phantom."

"What's the difference?" Danny asked.

"There's a big difference to me."

She never got to hear his reply because a sudden uproar had disturbed the moment. There was a loud wail in the distance and Danny looked up. A large black vortex had appeared in the sky.

"He's coming. You have to get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Valerie replied stubbornly. "Like it or not, I'm still a citizen of Amity Park and right now, this town needs me."

"I'll take care of it," Danny said. "Just go."

"You can't tell me what to do," Valerie replied, still unsure whether to believe Danny or not. "You're a stranger to me now, and I still don't trust you."

At this, Danny was left speechless. He opened his mouth to speak, but her words had hit him harder than anything else that night.

She gave him one last look and took off. Danny, finally snapping out of it, turned around and saw Tucker and Sam standing in the distance, both wearing sympathetic looks. He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "You're going to have to sooner or later."

The black vortex began spinning rapidly. A tall and dark figure emerged from it, soon followed by another in white.

"Take care of him," the white clad ghost said. His accomplice grinned and narrowed his hollow grey eyes.

"With pleasure."

Danny turned the corner and stopped immediately. Sam and Tucker followed suit and all three of them stared ahead wide-eyed.

They were losing!

Thousands of ghostly shadows were swarming around, emerging from the damaged ground. Almost every bit of the remainder of Amity Park was covered in them.

There were a few more flares and three ghosts fell back — Desiree, the Lunch Lady, and Dora. Sana was the fourth to be knocked down when the ghost she was fighting blocked her attack, grabbed her arms, and kicked her in the stomach. She fell back and screamed in anger. All four of them got up and began fighting their attackers.

The ghost who had knocked down Sana was Aragon. When she tried to fire another blast, Dora put a hand around her wrist and pulled her back. She narrowed her eyes in anger, but the princess said calmly, "Let's switch."

Both Sana and Danny looked to where she was pointing and spotted Walker with his goons. An evil grin appeared on Sana's face as her mind filled with thoughts of revenge. She agreed and she and Dora switched enemies.

Danny wasn't surprised to see that Sana was putting all of her effort into her attacks when fighting Walker. He was a formidable opponent, but she had a bad past with him and wanted nothing more than to beat him to a pulp.

Walker held his arms of front of him as Sana rose into the air, slightly above him, and began firing blasts from her hands repeatedly. Each was followed by another in no more than a millisecond. They hit him relentlessly and he winced. Finally, creating her last ecto-blast, Sana, still in the air, flipped around and kicked out a powerful gust of wind that knocked him off his feet while she landed smoothly beside him. With no hesitation, her hands flashed red and she dashed forward.

It all happened so fast that Walker barely had a chance to recover by the time she was running at him again with her arms to her sides, each carrying a long wave of red energy in the shape of two blades.

She jumped up again and flipped the blades so that red blurs where now creating a streaking pattern in the air. Swiftly bringing them down, she cried out in fury. Walker rolled out of the way and her blades connected with the ground. She tried pulling them out but they wouldn't move. Instead, she released them and turned around, creating another two blades with her hands and swinging them as she turned.

Walker caught the first blade and threw her over his shoulder before the other reached him. She let go of them in the air and landed in a squat. Three of his goons appeared around him and she glared. The two blades fell above her and she caught them and got to her feet again.

Danny snapped back to reality and realized she was outnumbered. He raised his ecto-gun and fired. The missile connected with one of the guards as he neared the teen ghost. She turned around in confusion with her hands glowing and spotted him.

He smiled and fired again. Sana looked back at Walker to find that the remaining two guards were now only a foot away. One of them was blasted by Danny and she punched the other, emitting a powerful red beam as well that doubled the force of the attack.

"LOOK OUT!" someone yelled. The two teen ghosts turned around in alarm. Sana flipped back and Danny jumped out of the way as two giant dragons crashed into the floor between them.

"Aragon? How many amulets does he have?"

The black reptilian creature pinning the crystal blue one to the ground took in a deep breath. Just as he prepared to breathe out a massive ball of fire, Dora disappeared into the ground. He looked around in confusion and turned around. She appeared out of the ground and flew high into the sky. He ground his teeth in anger and chased after her.

"You'll never learn!" he shouted angrily behind her. She ascended higher and he followed.

"Maybe it's _you_ who needs to learn, brother," she snapped back, flying higher and then flipping backwards so that her back was directly above his. She flipped again so that she was now flying behind him. He looked back and growled.

Aragon stopped and flew at her. She spun around and thrust her tail into him. He roared in fury and fell through the air several feet before recovering from the blow.

"You will not win this war, Dora!" he yelled. "Give up and get out!"

Before she could reply, he shot a blast of fire from his mouth. She dodged it, but the intensity of the heat still burned her. She cried out in pain and began to fall.

"We're fading fast," Tucker said to Danny. He bit his lip and looked around. It was true. They were greatly outnumbered.

"It's up to me now," he said.

"I'll take care of the arrogant prince. You deal with that," Sana said, pointing to one of the ghosts in the distance. She took off and left the three teens behind.

"Isn't that Jazz?" Sam asked, squinting her eyes to see better. Danny's head shot immediately to the right and he too squinted. Sure enough, they saw his red-haired sister fighting off a very colossal ghost. Judging by the many bruises and scratches on her, it was winning.

"Jazz!" Danny shouted, taking off in a dash.

"Wait up!" Tucker called as he run after him. Sam was about to do the same when something in the sky caught her attention. She took a few steps forward to getter a better glimpse of it and then wished she hadn't. Her eyes widened and her heart filled with panic. Something black was speeding through the air straight toward the direction Danny and Tucker had gone.

"DANNY!" she shouted. To no surprise, he didn't hear.

Sam ran as fast as her legs would allow. She sped through the fighting ghosts and dodged around them until she had sight of her two best friends. Valerie noticed the frantic girl and flew over to her.

"What's up?" she asked, but Sam didn't stop to talk. She was rushing towards Danny. Valerie looked around to find the cause of her hysteria and then turned her gaze to the sky. Her eyes widened and she crouched down on her flyer. She would've recognized that figure anywhere. Red flames shot out from the engines and the jet sled accelerated. She flew through the crowd and caught up to Sam.

The enormous green beast raised one of its massive paws and prepared to strike. Jazz screamed and covered her head. It didn't do much help though. The blow sent her stumbling back and she landed roughly on the muddy ground. Danny gasped and began dashing through the crowd again. Tucker stayed no more than four feet behind him.

He dropped down to his knees beside his sister and called her name. She moaned and opened her eyes slightly.

"Danny?"

"Jazz!"

"Ah man, she's pretty beaten up," Tucker remarked. It was true. Jazz's skin was marked with various lines from the creature's claws. She had a few scrapes and bruises on her arms that were probably caused from falls. Her hair was messed up and slightly disheveled and she had a black mark around one of her eyes.

"Get her home," Danny said. "Find Kujo. He should be somewhere here."

"You mean the freakishly large dog?" Tucker asked, slightly frightened.

"It's okay. Just give him a pat."

"And where are you gonna be?" the techno-geek asked he pulled Jazz onto his shoulder.

"Here . . . fighting. I'd give you this but I think I'm gonna need this." Danny held up his weapon and then ducked. The ghost that had attacked Jazz flew over them. Danny got back up and tried going ghost again, but it was no use. It was too loud for him to concentrate the way he had before.

"Forget your ghost powers. Just shoot them down," Tucker said as he dropped to the ground. The same ghoul returned for him and missed. He rebounded and tried again but Danny powered up his ecto-gun and fired at it. The missile hit the ghost, but it returned again.

"We should've brought the thermos," he said, getting angry at his constant lack of preparation. "I'm such an idiot."

"Dude, move!" Tucker lunged forward and pushed Danny aside as two dragons dived into the ground. Dora pulled out the dive fast enough and shoved her brother into the ground with her legs before pushing off of his back and taking off again. The collision caused a vibration that destroyed about ten yards of the floor. Danny could feel it separating beneath him and then two large blocks of the sidewalk cement rose up and separated him from Tucker and his sister. Dora, who was still in the air, took a deep breath and blew fire down on the fallen dragon. He flailed his wings and created a forceful wind that trapped the fire and diffused it.

He raised his head high and opened his mouth. Dora prepared a defense for the attack, but Danny aimed his ecto-gun and pressed down on the trigger.

Sam finally stopped running when she caught sight of him. She took a deep breath and then yelled "Danny!"

Before he could turn around, a searing pain went through his ribs as a force collided with him. His aim was off and the missile shot into Dora instead. She dodged it but was unprepared for Aragon's oncoming attack.

The mysterious force held onto Danny and moved at a lightning fast pace. He dropped his weapon and cried out in agony as it continued to push him through the ground, creating a long trail behind them. Finally, it rose off the ground and flew up, still at the same immense speed. He could feel the wind hitting him harshly in the face, but whatever was holding him did not let go.

He turned his head slightly to see where they were going and spotted a large silver building, directly across the black one he was trapped in before.

His captor did not slow down. They were going to crash into it. Danny closed his eyes and focused on making himself intangible, but by the time he had begun to think about it, an excruciating pain surged through his back. They had crashed into a window and fragments of glass were flying all around them. Finally, the creature let go and he fell five feet until he hit the cold tiled floor, now scattered with miniscule pieces of glass.

He wanted to scream, but the pain was too intense. He remained on his back, wondering what had just happened. There was a loud gasp from the crowd below. Some people (or ghosts, he wasn't sure) were laughing. Something must've happened, but he was too far to see now.

He looked up and nearly screamed again, but his throat constricted and he remained silent. Evieor was hovering high above him, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk set on his repulsive gray face.

"It's been a while," he said as he descended. Danny tried to sit up, but the pain in his back from his previous fall had returned to add to this one. He winced and fell back down.

"So this," Evieor began as he walked slowly to him, ". . . this is Amity's hero? Pathetic."

"I'm good enough to be a threat to you," Danny shot back, finally forcing himself to sit up. He wanted to cry out again, but held it in. Evieor wasn't going to get the satisfaction of knowing he hurt him. He got on all fours and gradually stood up until he was face-to-face with his enemy.

Evieor's smirk turned into an evil grin and he revealed several sharp fangs, but Danny kept a straight face. It was too quiet now. The chaos from the battle several blocks away seemed to have stopped for some reason. But the more he focused on that, the larger Evieor's grin became. He looked up behind Danny's shoulder and Danny snapped out of his trance when he saw his enemy moving.

Evieor turned back to him and began walking again. Danny kept his eye on him.

"So what's happened during my absence?" the dark ghost questioned. "You don't seem to be doing too well."

"That might be due to the fact that you just threw me into a window," Danny snapped angrily. He could feel his shirt sticking to his skin and it wasn't because of sweat. His enemy seemed amused.

"You've gathered an army, I see. It's quite pitiful, actually," he said. Danny couldn't help but feel that Evieor was trying to buy time for something. However, he didn't mind too much since it gave him a chance to heal a little. He could feel blood beginning to trickle down his back and winced again when he moved his head to try to see it.

"You seem to be interested in my talking," Evieor said a little harshly, snapping Danny back from his thoughts. The halfa glared.

"Well, then, let's do something else, shall we?"

"No!" Danny said immediately as Evieor's hands flared black energy. "I-I mean . . . uh, what do you want with me?"

This seemed to work. The ghost smiled again and returned to speaking.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. You can't do anything about it now anyway."

Danny raised a brow and then turned his gaze to Evieor's hands again, but he didn't seem to notice because he began pacing the room again.

"I want you out of my way. Nothing more to it."

"But why?" Danny asked. "Usually, ghosts start hating me _after _I do something to them. But you—"

"I've learned from their mistakes," he interrupted. "Day after day, month after month they would return to the Ghost Zone defeated, failing to have accomplished their goal. It infuriated me that so many ghost had fallen at the hands of a mere child. Recently, a few weeks ago actually, at the end of Plamius' Ghost War, I learned that you had defeated not one, not two, but over three hundred ghosts at once. Now _that_ was worth looking into. So I went to Plamius and asked about you and he told me everything he knew.

"You already know that my goal is to claim the title of strongest ghost and do anything I want freely. That couldn't be done with you in my way. So I acquired powers from various enemies of yours. Soon enough, I was almost equally as powerful as Plasmius. But that wasn't good enough. You defeated him repeatedly and I figured you'd be able to do the same. So I needed more power. But the more I asked, the more ghosts began realizing that if I became stronger to them, I could become a threat. So obviously, they turned away and I was left with what I had."

"So you decided to try to take me on with that and see if you'd win?" Danny assumed.

"Very good," Evieor said. "And of course, I did not prevail. But the more I battled you, the more I learned that you were only good at running away. And here you are, still running. But I've found you. And now I'm done playing hide-and-seek."

He stopped walking and faced him. Danny could feel his heart beating in his throat. Fear spread through him as he looked into the eyes of his enemy. Remembering what that did, he quickly blinked and turned away, but as soon as he did, something hit him and sent him speeding through the air until he collided with the wall. When he fell to the floor, a large hole was imprinted in it.

Danny was nearly blinded by the ache at this point. He turned around and saw a moving blur. When his vision returned, he realized it was Evieor. He wanted to get up, but the ghost was to fast. He aimed a blast and Danny shut his eyes. However, instead of hitting him, it made impact with the floor and sent the teen back into the air (along with the several broken pieces of the tile). Once Danny was in the air, Evieor drew his hand back and then punched, releasing a giant black ectoplasmic fist that connected with his body and sent him falling back again.

He felt as if he was going to lose consciousness right then and there. Danny opened his eyes, but he couldn't help but scream. It was too much for him to handle. He was losing miserably. Him and his army.

_You've proven your point!_ he wanted to shout out to the dark figure approaching him.

"I don't think I have," Evieor replied, causing Danny's eyes to widen in surprise. He created another ectoplasmic blast and aimed it at the halfa. Danny rolled over to the side and evaded the attack.

Despite the searing pain, he forced himself to get up on his feet. No matter how much he wanted to give up, something was telling him to stand and fight. And that something overpowered all other thoughts in his mind. It was no doubt his determination.

Evieor turned to him with a strange look in his eyes. They were no longer hollow. They were pure black. Danny took a few steps back. His opponent must've gotten angry at the fact that he was fighting back.

"You won't win!" he shouted lunging forward.

"Get back!" Danny yelled as he raised his hands. A faint spark appeared and then disappeared. He dodged out of the way just in time and Evieor landed several feet away. Before he could turn around, Danny began running towards him.

Ghost or human, he wasn't going to let Amity Park down.

"Powers or not, I promise," he whispered as he approached Evieor, "I won't lose!"

"That's one promise you won't be able to keep," he hissed, sending another blast. Danny jumped onto his hands and kicked out with both legs at once. The force of the kick managed to repel the blast and it was sent right back at Evieor. His eyes widened and he waved his hand in front of him. A cloud of smoke formed around him and the blast phased through it and went into the wall. The smoke disappeared and Evieor approached him again, looking bewildered.

"How did you—?"

Danny flipped over again and swung one leg over. It hit his nemesis in the jaw and he stumbled back.

"After months of physical training, I guess I've learned to rely on my natural instincts. No matter how much it hurts," he added in a mumble as the pain in his back returned.

Evieor gritted his teeth and rose high into the air. He took a deep breath and then exhaled a powerful icy wind. Danny saw it coming and ran out of the way. However, a piece of ice formed around his leg and bound him to the floor. He tried to break free, but it was no use.

There was a furious roar ahead and he looked up and saw another beam of black energy. It collided with his chest and thrust him back, twisting his leg slightly until the ice cracked and released him. He cried out and slid down from the deeply damaged wall and onto the floor. Once on his knees, he fell forward onto his hands a well and took several deep breaths. He lost count of how many times he had hit his back against something today. A little more and he'd be in a wheelchair by the age of twenty five.

_Get up!_

_Shut up_, Danny thought with a moan. He just wanted to lie down and rest. But of course, that wasn't going to happen.

_Get . . . up!_

"I know, I know," he mumbled to himself as he slowly got to his feet again.

"You never give up do you?" Evieor said, now growing very agitated.

"No," Danny replied, despite the fear that was now spreading through him with his opponent's harsh voice and rising temper.

Evieor snarled angrily and leapt forward. Danny clenched his hands into fists and tried to stand still. For a moment, his mind spaced and he fell into a daze. The blood continued pouring down his back and his vision was faulting again. He was growing weaker as his enemy grew stronger.

_You made a promise!_

Danny blinked and shook his head. Evieor raised his hands high and brought them down. A curved blade appeared, but the haste to create it caused it to be weak. Regardless, it was still too much for Danny to handle. He raised his hands to try to catch the energy blade as he did when fighting Vlad, but the power in the attack made him strain his back. He winced and released it.

It hit him and he felt it burn into his skin just like every other blast he had had to deal with that night. Slowly, he fell through the air again and waited for the familiar collision of the wall to break the fall.

However, this time he wasn't able to reach it because a hand closed around his neck and pulled him forward. He choked and tried to break free with his own hands, but it was no use. He was too weak and out of energy. And still, that burning flame within him would not go out. Something inside him was preventing him from losing this battle.

He opened his eyes and looked straight into Evieor's gray ones.

"What more do I have to do to make you lose? What makes you think you can _possibly_ defeat me?"

Evieor's free hand flashed purple and Danny narrowed his eyes as he brought it up to his face. The halfa, however, did not struggle.

"Determination," he choked, wishing now more than anything that he could phase through the ghost's grasp.

"Determination?" Evieor repeated mockingly. "And what exactly is it that motivates you?"

Danny's eyes flashed green and the ghost was taken aback. He could feel something familiar within him — power.

"Everything I'm fighting for," he said angrily as two bright green beams shot out from his eyes. Evieor roared in agony and let go of Danny. The halfa kicked out against Evieor's chest and flipped backwards. Halfway through his backflip, he felt an odd shiver spread through his body. He was looking up at the ceiling as it suddenly changed to a glowing bluish-white light. He shut his eyes tightly as two rings moved in opposite directions on his body and completed the transformation just as he landed.

For some odd reason, Danny could've sworn he heard something. He stood up and put a hand to his head. His back was no longer aching. No part of him was. His energy, power — it was all back. More than that even — his gloves were black and his suit was white. His eyes must've changed to a glowing blue. He was in his power enhanced mode.

And still, Evioer was smiling. He pointed over Danny's shoulder and he turned around. His heart could've stopped beating at that moment. The bliss and happiness of his transformation had disappeared less than five seconds after it began. He was staring into a sleek black object hanging high up on the wall.

Danny turned to look at the window. He had a full view of the town's public plasma screen TV . . .

. . . And he was staring right at himself.

* * *

_To think it was bad that Paulina and Valerie had found out. That's the last thing on Danny's mind _now_. Heh, I should start running now._

_Oh, one more thing. Enjoy this evil cliffie. It's the last one of the story. Yep, chapter 21 is the last chapter of Fading Remembrance. But it's going to be a butt-kicking finale, so get the snacks ready again. Thank you everyone who supported this fic and is continuing to do so. And for anyone else reading, please review!_

**Sneak Peek**

Chapt 21

_ "You continue to amaze me Daniel. Never, in all my years as a ghost, have I been able to accomplish _this_," the older halfa said as he took several steps forward. Danny bent his knees slightly and clawed his hand as a blue flare emerged from his palm. _

_ "That's because you're on the wrong side," he said back as he thrust the blue ectoplasm at his nemesis. To his surprise, Vlad was not expecting the attack and had no time to block it. It made a direct hit and threw him back several feet. He slid across the floor and stopped only a few inches away from the wall on the opposite end of the room. _

_ Without hesitation, Danny turned his head immediately and saw a black blur. Allowing his reflexes to kick in, he opened his hand and forcefully pressed it down into the ground with another beam of ectoplasm. The tile cracked and jutted out in many different ends and the dark ghoul was thrust into the air directly at him. _

_ The halfa stretched out a hand, grabbed Evieor's wrist, and spun around once, throwing him into the wall he had been held up against several minutes ago. It, like the floor, cracked. Several small pieces of white stone fell from above and landed in front of Danny. He looked down and saw them by his feet before turning his gaze upward. His eyes widened and he let out a frightened gasp. _


	21. Fading Remembrance

_Behold! The last chapter to _Fading Remembrance_. First off, I am REALLY sorry about the length. Please forgive me. It took me a couple of days to finish this and I like the way it came out. But then again, it's really up to you to decide whether you like it or not._

_Also, plenty of battles here. Loads and tons of action. I was listening to evanescence for the final battle. It's really weird how music can set different moods. Buy hey; it helped me write butt-kicking scenes a lot quicker so . . . why not?_

_One more thing, I got mixed up and put the wrong sneak peek for chapter 20. Sorry, I have a list of my sneak peeks and I had a few for 20, but I got mixed up and thought it was a part of 21. I corrected it, not that it makes much of a difference to you now. You can just read the chapter. _

_Okay, I would like to say thanks to all of my reviewers for the final time for this fic. You guys rock!_

**iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny: **_LoL. "awesome" pretty much sums up 22 pgs worth of words. I never knew that. It's good to know. All right, to answer your question. . . _Where are Jack and Maddie when you need them?_ Maddie and Jack will arrive, you can be sure of that. But the question is, does Danny want them to? Now that everyone's seen him transform, it's going to be a little difficult. And don't worry, this may be the last chapter, but it's REALLY long so . . . enjoy it._

**Blues59:**_ Sorry for the long update, but hey, at least you've got a long chapter now. I hope you like it!_

**Boongdaba:**_LoL, I tried my best not to make it suck. Enjoy._

**Jenna Dax:**_ Thanks for pointing out the sneak peek mistake. I appreciate it. Anticipate no more. The final chapter has arrived. _

**JK rulez:**_ LoL, Danny's . . . well, Danny. He can't give up. And yes, I know about the sneak peek now. Thanks for informing me :) _

**Cali:**_ Don't cry :( The chapter is here. Yes it's the last one, but hey, it's long. Look at the bright side, no more cliffies!_

**Arabic Blessing:**_ you guys really pay close attention to the chapters. You're the third person to correct me about the sneak peek. Thanks :) Oh and, the finale has arrived. You've been ready for days. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. But hey, the longer the wait, the longer the chapter . . . It might take a while for you to finish it. I hope you're prepared._

**Sasia:**_ LoL Okay, okay, don't hurt me. I'm sorry that I left you guys with such a horrible cliffhanger, but hey, the wait is over. So what are you waiting for? Read pple!_

**Purrbaby101:**_ Attack the cliffhangers! Rebellion! LoL, don't worry, that was the last one. If you liked the battle scenes there, wait until this chapter. It's double the action. Say hi to your cat for me!_

**Katiesparks:**_ o.O LoL! Your reviews always make me laugh . . . and wonder. I fear the zombies, but fortunately, I have a computer screen to separate myself from them. Yes! Thanks technology._

**Maki-sama:**_ You read the entire 20 chapters in one day? Wow . . . I'm impressed. Thanks! Let's see how long it takes you to read this one._

**Ohka Breynekai: **_That's right. One more chapter, and this is it. I will continue to write fanfiction. I already have a story idea planned. Its summary is in my profile. As for Danny getting his powers back, you know what that means don't you? Lots of payback._

**Phantomshadowdragon: **_Zeith is one of the ghosts from chapter 4 of Amity's Hero. LoL, yes, it would probably be best to avoid getting Sana angry. She's got a temper. And no, Danny won't ask Clockwork to change it. He won't ask anyone to change it ;) _

**Fading Remembrance**

Chapt 21- Fading Remembrance

Danny's mind clouded with emotions, but they were all set aside as he stared, dazed and transfixed at the giant screen. This could NOT be happening. There was a light chuckle from behind, but he did not turn around. There were no words to describe his mood at the moment.

Scared, furious, shocked . . . all combined to make him feel as if an immense pressure had fallen on him.

Evieor's eyes flashed angrily and he bent his arms back.

"Have you forgotten our battle?" he snapped, waking Danny suddenly from his thoughts. The halfa jumped slightly in surprise and turned around, only to be knocked back into the air by another tremendous force of black energy.

This time, however, he recovered instantly and stretched out a hand. Landing on it, he flipped back onto his feet and ground his teeth. All of his frustration had just found an outlet . . .

He cried out in anguish and focused all of his stress on his attack. Evieor saw it coming and took to the air. Danny held back his attack. Instead of releasing his anger, he felt as if he had just drawn it back in. Narrowing his glowing blue eyes, he jumped up and took off in a flash of vibrant white light. Rings of the light trailed behind him as he accelerated.

Flying at 120 mph, he managed to catch up to his enemy in no time. Evieor noticed the teenage ghost behind him and sped up. Danny fell behind and pushed himself to go faster.

There were a few cries of surprise and he looked down. They had flown right over the large crowd. Adults were all pointing at the sky in both awe and anger. Most of them had forgotten to raise their weapons as their gaze remained transfixed at the new center of attention — him.

Danny looked back ahead and noticed Evioer change his course. He narrowed his eyes and turned as well, descending ina curve. The wind whipped against his face violently and he held his arm out in front of him. He wasn't used to flying at 120 mph.

And to no surprise, he felt a strange jolt and began to lose control. The wind was too violent at a dive with such immense speed. It was throwing him off course. He swerved a little to the left and right and tried to pull out of his drop. Everything around him became a blur and he didn't know what was going on. Everything was moving too fast. It was all streaks of different colors blended with the dark bluish black of the nighttime sky.

Danny finally managed to pull himself back, but the force of the rushing wind pushed him violently forward with another sudden jolt. He felt himself hit something very hard. His eyes shut immediately and he cringed, but soon, everything became soft. He let his arms float loosely beside him and waited. He felt weird. His body was becoming heavier and a cold sensation went through him. When he opened his eyes, he saw a very blurry blue color. It was moving in gentle waves. He looked up and saw the surface of the water.

He had landed in the lake of the town. It was located near the outskirts of town, but still not as far as the mountains. There were a few buildings still in view, though they were very distant. Of course, Danny only knew this from memory. He wasn't able to see it now.

Realizing that the water was now choking him, he quickly swam up and poked his head through the calm surface, making a splash and taking in a very deep breath.

To no surprise, Evieor was floating just above him. Danny's mouth twitched and he stared back with same look of loathing.

Without hesitation, the older ghost raised his arms high in the air and then brought them down. Danny took a deep breath and then pulled himself back under the water. He swam a little to the right and managed to evade the giant black blade that had cut into the silt and dirt of the lake bottom. Another few streaks of black ectoplasm hit the water and he became intangible. They went through him and hit the floor. The sand diffused and began shooting up from various areas at the impact.

Danny, still holding his breath, was about to fly back up when a sudden rush of water pushed him. He rolled over several times and accidentally exhaled. Quickly closing his mouth, he regained balance and looked up. Once again, another force hit him and he was pushed against a forming wave. Water was rushing in from all ends to add to it and he was caught in the middle. It rose high into the air and he could feel himself being lifted out of the lake. Just as suddenly, it came tumbling down. He tried to fly out, but it was impossible. He was shoved back into the water and the rest of the wave came crashing down on him, pushing him further in.

Now desperate for air, Danny ignored the sting and swam back up. After about three seconds of struggling, he finally reached the surface again and splashed around like a fish on land until he regained balance.

Surprisingly, Evioer wasn't amused. He stared at Danny as an inferior. Allowing anger to take control, Danny pushed out of the water and shot into the air at full speed. He bent back his right arm as he flew and Evioer prepared to make a shield. However, the glowing light of ectoplasm didn't come. He waited for it as the halfa approached — and that was probably why he was caught off guard when Danny's fist suddenly made a powerful contact with his jaw.

His head bent back at the impact and Danny flew past. Before Evioer could even place a hand to his wound, the halfa flew back down and created two powerful blue beams from his eyes. They hit the ghost in the back and sent him plummeting into the water. This time, a large splash was created. Danny crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

The water began to bubble and his vigilance rose. An angry figure rose out of it and screamed furiously. Danny unfolded his arms and created a shield, but a faint glow caught his eye and he realized that he had made the wrong move.

Evieor's purple hand burned through the shield and made a direct and painful contact with Danny. He pulled back immediately just as Evieor returned his hand and then punched again, this time sending the halfa flying through the skies.

Danny clenched his teeth in agony and tried to reach out and touch his face, but his entire body felt numb. The wind was hitting him forcefully as he fell back. Within only a matter of seconds, a tremendous amount of pain spread through him as he collided with several solid objects, shattering each of them around him. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was in a brightly lit room in yet another unfamiliar building in Amity Park. To the right was a small door that read "Main Hall".

Slowly and carefully getting up, Danny stumbled back and leaned against the wall. His spine felt shattered and he realized for the second time that night he had fallen through (and shattered) a window. Cringing slightly, he pushed off the wall and stretched. Fortunately, there was no glass in him.

"It's a nice little feeling isn't it?" a voice Danny knew all-too-well asked from above. "To keep falling and get back up." He looked up and glared.

"You get used to it after a while," the younger halfa shot back. His rival smirked and descended. Stepping carefully onto the floor, he walked around the fragments of glass and stepped up beside him.

"I hate it when you do that," he muttered angrily. Danny remained where he was. Vlad was only inches away from him, but he wasn't going to back down.

Both ghosts turned their heads to the shattered window when a faint chuckle disturbed the silence. A tall and dark figure flew into the room and landed, but Danny was only focusing on the faint purple glow.

Vlad stood up straight and smiled as Evieor approached him. When the two ghosts were side-by-side, they turned back towards Danny and smirked. The same purple light lit up in Plasmius' hand and they both prepared another punch. Danny, however, jumped up and flew over them as their fists collided with the wall, creating two large holes that burned and expanded. They turned around and looked up.

"Two against one. And you think _I'm_ weak?" Danny said to them.

"You won't win. Give up!" Vlad shouted, but Danny merely smiled.

"I'll do what I want _when_ I want," he replied, receiving a scowl. Without another word, Plasmius rose into the air with Evieor following behind. He fired a red ectoplasmic blast, but Danny didn't dodge.

He narrowed his eyes and they flashed entirely blue. A silver-blue shield appeared in front of him and repelled Plasmius' attack. The halfa ducked and it went into Evieor who raised his purple hand in defense. As soon as the red-ectoplasm touched it, it disappeared.

In turn, Evioer raised his hand high into the air and then brought it down as if playing a chord. A giant black fist appeared and charged at Danny. Once again, the teen seemed unamused.

He held out a hand and absorbed the attack. Both Evieor's and Plasmius' eyes widened in shock. Danny raised his other hand and transferred the energy to it. Then, he brought it forward and released a blue fist twice the size of the original. The two ghosts separated and the fist passed between them. Turning their attention back to Danny, each raised their hands to create their own energy blades, but the fist returned and hit them both from behind.

Danny smiled and looked down. Plasmius was the first to recover. He looked up and slowly got to his feet, stumbling forward a bit before regaining balance.

"You — you took that from me!" he said angrily. Danny shrugged.

"Well, you could do it, so I knew that someday I'd be able to also. And hey, I'm in my PE mode. Why not try it out now?" he said with a smile.

Plasmius' eyes flashed angrily and he shot two beams from them. Danny evaded the attack, but another blast hit him from behind and he shot forward and collided with the wall. He slid down onto the floor and shook his head.

"What the—"

"That was me," Evieor said, appearing right beside him in a black blur. He closed his hand around the neck of Danny's white suit and pulled him up into the air. In a puff of red smoke, Plasmius appeared beside them with his cape wrapped around him.

Thrusting the cape out of his way, he raised his glowing hand and punched Danny's chest. The teen cried out, but he did not remove his hand.

The DP symbol embedded on his suit was beginning to tear and soon the light had reached his skin. In desperation, Danny kicked out and managed to make contact. The pressure was removed from his torso, but the pain ceased gradually. Plasmius looked up angrily and waved his hand. Apparently, that was what Danny had kicked. He clenched his teeth menacingly and approached.

The teen halfa closed his eyes and took several silent deep breaths. When he looked up, his eyes were entirely blue. Plasmius stopped in his tracks and looked down at Danny's chest. A white light appeared around the wound and then disappeared, leaving nothing but a faded mark on his skin.

Just as soon as the wound had healed, another white light appeared, though this time as a ring around his waist. It separated into two and then each moved in different directions across his body. When the upper ring passed over his torso, the suit was no longer torn and the DP symbol had returned.

There was a cry and Evieor quickly pulled his hand away. Danny slid down the wall and landed limply on his feet. He put a hand to his head and then slowly turned his gaze to his rivals. Vlad was standing wide-eyed beside Evioer who was now grasping his hand tightly as if he had just been burned.

"You continue to amaze me Daniel. Never, in all my years as a ghost, have I been able to accomplish _this_," the older halfa said as he took several steps forward. Danny bent his knees slightly and clawed his hand as a blue flare emerged from his palm.

"That's because you're on the wrong side," he said back as he thrust the blue ectoplasm at his nemesis. To his surprise, Vlad was not expecting the attack and had no time to block it. It made a direct hit and threw him back several feet. He slid across the floor and stopped only a few inches away from the wall on the opposite end of the room.

Without hesitation, Danny turned his head immediately and saw a black blur. Allowing his reflexes to kick in, he opened his hand and forcefully pressed it down into the ground with another beam of ectoplasm. The tile cracked and jutted out in many different ends and the dark ghoul was thrust into the air directly at him.

The halfa stretched out a hand, grabbed Evieor's wrist, and spun around once, throwing him into the wall he had been held up against several minutes ago. It, like the floor, cracked. Several small pieces of white stone fell from above and landed in front of Danny. He looked down and saw them by his feet before turning his gaze upward. His eyes widened and he let out a frightened gasp.

The ceiling was cracking now too. A long jagged line was steadily moving across the surface, breaking into smaller branches and allowing dust to fall from within the cracks. Danny took a step back, and then another. Gradually, larger pieces began to fall. He continued stumbling back until he was right beside Evieor leaning against the damaged wall. The crumbling stopped for a second and the white dust cleared, leaving a full view of a pile of rubble. Then, suddenly, he heard a faint click and looked up. Another large portion of the stone cracked and fell. He put his arms over his head and slouched as it headed straight for them.

Plasmius stepped back and leaned against the remaining wall, staring ahead at the scene. A large piece of the ruined ceiling now lay in the same spot his ally and enemy had been. A smirk set upon his face and he stepped forward when the debris had stopped falling. An ally had fallen, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to get over if his rival went with him.

Slowly approaching, he bent slightly forward and waited. A faint gray light caught his eye and he got back up immediately. A head appeared out of the stone, and then shoulders, a torso, and the rest of Evieor's body. He phased through it and levitated to Plasmius, landing right beside him.

"Don't let your guard down. I saw him becoming intangible. I'm almost positive he phased through it," he warned, unaware of his partner's thoughts not too long ago. Plasmius nodded and glanced around. Everything was silent. The two ghosts stood still, but they still heard nothing.

"He probably ran," the taller one stated, turning his back on the rubble and beginning to walk. Plasmius turned to follow, but curiosity getting the better of him, he glanced once more and then turned back to the stone. He raised his hand and blasted a flare of red energy that disintegrated it in an instant. Evieor looked over his shoulder and Plasmius stood up straight with a satisfied grin.

An unconscious boy lay sprawled out on the floor spotted in white dust and a few pebbles. His right arm just beneath the elbow was scraped and bleeding. His cheek was cut as well, although it was minor. His eyes were shut and he remained deathly still.

Plasmius' hand lit up again and he raised it, preparing to finish off his opponent once and for all. Evieor, however, pushed him aside. He regained balance and glared furiously, allowing his eyes to flash red.

"What was that for?" Vlad hissed.

"_I'm_ finishing him off," he replied.

"No," the vampire-like ghost replied stubbornly. "I'm taking credit for his demise."

"Stop bickering with me and get out of my way before he wakes up."

He stepped forward, but Vlad ran in front of him and blocked his way. Two red flares appeared in his hands and he gritted his teeth.

"We'll finish him together," he said. "Either that or _I_ finish him."

Evieor stood still, his eyes fixed on the ghost before him. He wanted more than anything to kill the boy who had been stressing him for the past three weeks. He wasn't going to allow Plasmius to stand in his way.

However, time was running out. Knowing Phantom's luck, someone would probably arrive to help him. If he didn't do it now, he might miss the chance.

Narrowing his eyes, he nodded reluctantly and stepped forward. Vlad stepped out of his way and turned to approach the fallen hero.

Suddenly, a powerful force hit him from behind and sent him flying forward. He landed in the rubble beside Danny and groaned. Lying on his stomach, he pushed himself up with his hands and then stood up in a sort of slouch. His hands lit up again and Evieor did the same.

"You rat," the halfa whispered angrily. "How _dare_ you hit me when I have my back turned!"

"That was me," another masculine voice said from behind before Evieor could speak. Both ghosts turned to the opposite end of the room. Just then, another green blast was fired from a different angle. This time, however, it targeted Evieor. He crossed his arms before him, but the beam was too fast. He was thrust back toward the window.

Vlad clenched his teeth and, with his fists still raised, looked back at the two figures before them. He recognized them immediately.

The woman took out a tube of red lipstick and traced two dark red lines over the faded ones before aiming her bazooka again. She wanted to leave her mark on the weapon for some reason.

"Maddie," he said, hinting jealousy toward Jack with his tone. The orange clad man stood beside his wife with another weapon raised. It was thinner and sleeker than hers and had a long tube of green ectoplasm over the metal.

Evieor jumped back to his feet and clenched his fists angrily. He managed to get a good look at the two people and understood immediately.

"Why am I not surprised?" he mumbled, though loud enough for them to hear. Maddie and Jack raised their brows and glanced at each other. The dark figure stood up and allowed his hands (still clenched) to fall to his sides as he examined them closely.

"The Fentons . . . here to rescue their son."

He turned his gaze a little to the right to looked at the limp figure at Plasmius' feet.

"Somehow, you always get lucky," he muttered to himself now. Then, raising his hands again, two radiant purple flares appeared. "Not this time."

Maddie and Jack caught on immediately and prepared to fight back.

"Get Danny!" Maddie ordered. Her husband, who was already halfway across the room, gave her a thumbs up and ran toward Vlad, who entered a defensive position.

Maddie fired her weapon at the ghost, but a wall of black energy appeared around him and reflected the attack. She tried again, but it was no use. He put his hands together and joined the separated flames of energy. The new rounded blast was now steadily increasing size.

She looked back at her husband and gasped. Plasmius had created a blast of his own and it knocked Jack back several feet. However, he got back up immediately and ran forward again. The ghost narrowed his eyes dangerously and prepared another attack. Maddie raised her ecto-gun up again and used her free hand to support it as she took aim.

"Get out of the way!" she yelled. Jack stopped running and looked back. Plasmius followed his gaze and gasped. Maddie pressed down on the trigger and fired. A beam of green ectoplasm shot forward and would've made contact with him had he not jumped up and avoided it. Instead of landing, however, he flew toward Evieor.

"Kill the brat," he hissed as he passed the ghoul. "I have bigger things to attend to."

He continued flying until he reached the window. Without another glance, the ghost took off into the nighttime sky to wreak havoc on the outside world, but Maddie and Jack were not focusing on that now.

Evieor's round mass of black energy was now big enough to hold both of them. His eyes turned completely black and he gritted his teeth. With a tremendous amount of force, he brought his hands down and threw the blast at Danny.

Maddie didn't have a chance to scream. Her mind told her to do one thing —_ run_. She leaned forward and began sprinting as fast as she could. However, at first, it seemed as if her entire body had gone into slow motion and everything around her seemed to be slowing down as well.

She could Jack up ahead and dashed faster, time seeming to speed up slightly. The light colored room had suddenly turned completely dark, but she reached out anyway into the nothingness.

The darkness pressed heavily on her eyes as she bent forward and closed her fingers around something. And then it caught up with them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Goth pushed her way through the crowd of panicked citizens. There were a few incidents where a ghost had either caught up with her or she was knocked down by a person trying to reach safety. It was starting to get frustrating, but she always got back up immediately to continue her search.

"Tucker!" she cried out, exasperated. "TUCKER!"

Finally stopping to catch her breath, Sam bent forward and rested her palms on her knees. She took several fast breaths and coughed. Suddenly, something rammed into her and sent her falling to the floor painfully on her side. She groaned and titled her body to push herself up with her hands when she heard a scream.

"Tucker?" she whispered, looked up. Sure enough, the dark skinned boy came rushing towards her with Danny's unconscious sister supported on his shoulder. He got down on his knees and reached out a hand. She took it and both of them got to their feet.

Before Sam could say anything, Jazz moaned and opened her eyes slightly. She raised her head a little off his shoulder and looked at them with half-closed eyes.

"Where's Danny?" she mumbled. Tucker turned to Sam and she felt a rush of guilt take over.

"I-I don't know. He'll be okay, though," she assured, hoping she could believe what she had just said. Jazz tried to stand on her own, but her knees buckled and she fell. Tucker reached out and grabbed her arms to pull her up before she hit the ground.

"Take it easy," he said. "We've got to get you home."

"No," Jazz protested, trying to stand up again. She pushed Tucker's hand away and tried to balance herself. "I need to help him."

"Jazz, there's no way you'll be helping him in this condition," Sam argued when the older girl finally managed to stand up straight. She clutched her ribs and moaned slightly.

"He needs me," she said.

"You'll just be getting in the way," Tucker told her. "Come on, we've got to get you home."

"And when you're well rested and feeling better, you can help him," Sam added before Jazz could argue. She looked at the Goth and Sam felt another rush of guilt.

If she stopped Danny in time, he'd still be here and Jazz wouldn't have to worry.

"Jazz—" she began, but Tucker cut her off.

"Look out," he said, pointing at the sky. The girls looked up and noticed a tiny black figure flying many feet above them. They were able to make out a cloak swaying loosely behind him. Sam turned her gaze to the direction he was flying from and noticed a light colored building.

"City Hall," she mumbled.

"Huh?" Tucker asked, turning his attention to her.

"He came from City Hall," she repeated.

"What was he doing in City Hall?"

"That must be where Danny is," Jazz guessed.

"Oh—"

Suddenly, a loud explosive noise spread through the sky and rose high above the noise of the crowd. The three teens (along with everyone else) covered their ears and cringed.

A wave of black energy became the center of attention as everyone focused on City Hall. The entire building had exploded in the mass of darkness.

One of the remaining three squares remaining on the public plasma screen T.V. had faded to black.

"DANNY!" Sam choked, beginning to feel tears forming in her eyes. It felt as if someone had just grasped her heart very tightly and wouldn't let go. She took off in a dash and ran toward the obliterated building. Tucker and Jazz both reached out to grab her, but she ran around several people and out of their reach.

"Sam, wait!" Tucker called as he sprinted after her. Jazz tried to keep up, but her wounds had prevented her from doing so and she ended up falling behind. However, knowing where they were going, she continued slowly.

Everyone stared intently at the scene, remaining silent. People were letting their guards down, and were therefore unaware of the pair of gray eyes that had appeared behind them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny let out a soft moan and opened his eyes just barely. Everything was a blur, but he could already see that something was wrong. A mixture of white and black was all he was able to make out before his vision cleared. Blinking several times, he sat up and gasped, instantly wishing he hadn't done that.

_Nothing_ could describe what he was feeling now. Even after replenishing his stamina from the power-enhanced mode, he had managed to obtain all of these new injuries. And that was from only one battle. How on earth was he going to win this war?

Maybe if he could try to get into his PE mode again, he would be healed. Danny looked at his hands and gasped. His gloves were still black. And his suit, though torn and tattered, was still white. He was still in his PE mode, but how?

"Who cares," he muttered to himself as he got up, once again trying his best to ignore the pain. Two figures lay beside him and he recognized them immediately.

"Mom! Dad!"

Dropping down to his knees, he began trying to wake his parents, but they wouldn't move. He shook Jack's shoulders, but his father remained unconscious.

"Wake up!" he tried. It was no use. His parents were in a world of their own now, free from all the problems he had to face right now. Deep inside, he wanted to be just like them now — sleeping without a care in the world. Gradually getting his strength back . . .

"That's it!" he said excitedly, raising his hands in front of his eyes. He had healed himself before when Plasmius used his power against him. It would probably be harder and less effective now that he was weakened, but it was still worth a shot.

Summoning all of his remaining energy, Danny focused on healing. He made sure not to heal himself instead. After severe concentration, his hands began to glow white. He placed a hand on each of his parents' backs and took three deep and soothing breaths. In a way, he was starting to feel some of his own energy returning.

After his last breath, he removed his hands away from his mother and father and then watched carefully. To his disappointment, nothing was happening. He leaned closer to try to see if any one of them was moving, but they remained still, breathing very faintly.

There was a faint click from behind and he turned around quickly, wincing as he did. Something wasn't right. The shadows of the pieces of rubble from the fallen building weren't shaped right. Not only that, but every other shadow was facing a different direction. He examined the first ones carefully and then jumped back in fright as one of them twitched. Two eyes appeared and blinked several times before it rose out of the ground. Its back was hunched until it appeared fully and then straightened itself out. Danny's mouth was open slightly and his eyes were wider than usual. He crawled back a little as more and more appeared, rising from the ground as the first one had.

Due to his averted attention, he did not notice the movements behind him. Maddie and Jack had woken up and looked around very drowsily. However, when they saw the ghosts approaching their son, they got to their feet immediately and ran in front of him. Danny looked up in surprise as his parents defended him. His father looked at the floor in hopes of spotting his weapon, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom, Dad . . ." Danny began.

Jack looked over his shoulder and reached down, pulled Danny into his arms and then turned back to Maddie.

"Come on, there are too many now. We don't have anything to fight with."

Then returning his gaze to Danny, he smiled and began running in the opposite direction, right back to the center of the remains of town. Maddie followed without hesitation and the shadow-like ghosts chased after them.

Some glided, others ran, and others sunk back into the ground and traveled through it like fish in water. Either way, they were catching up fast.

One tried to wrap itself around Maddie's ankle, but she noticed and jumped up and it ended up grasping nothing. She ran faster and caught up to her husband who seemed just about ready to faint. He was panting heavily and began to slow down.

"Jack, keep going," she tried, but he was now practically walking.

"I-I can't. Maddie, take Danny and go."

Danny looked over his father's shoulder and saw the sea of black approaching them. He fired an ectobeam and hit about ten of them at once.

"You go, I'll catch up later," he said as he jumped out of Jack's arms.

"Not a chance," Maddie argued, pulling him back when he tried to run toward the enemy.

"But Mom—"

"You are my son and you will do as I say," she intervened, pulling at his arm and beginning to run again. "Come on Jack."

Very reluctantly, Jack began to run again, though he was now behind his wife and son. Danny wanted to phase through his mother's grasp, but he knew her too well. She would ground him for the rest of his life if he disobeyed her at a time like this.

They turned the corner and passed a few more homes before the battle came into view. However, what they saw made all three stop with their jaws hanging.

Plasmius, Skulker, Ember, Spectra, Aragon, the Fright Knight, Walker, his goons, Bertrand, the shadows, and about a hundred other ghosts Danny didn't know were now gathered all together, shooting at anyone who wasn't on their side. Danny wasn't able to find Evieor with them, but he wasn't complaining about that.

On the ground, directly beneath them, were the citizens of Amity Park, Desiree, Sana, Kitty, Johnny 13, Dora, the Box Ghost, the Lunch Lady, Kujo, Wulf, a few of his canine-like friends, a portion of Walker's escaped prisoners, Vlad's mutated monstrous ghosts, Sidney Poindexter, Klemper, Valerie, and Star.

The scene was completely hectic. Red vortexes of light everywhere, sucking in any ghost that came into contact with it into the GRC, multi-colored blasts from all directions, ice, giant ectoplasmic fists, rockets, missiles, ectoplasmic shields, and pretty much any other offence or defense they could muster.

Both sides were going all out for this battle. The only problem was that Danny's army was unstable. The humans were fighting any ghost they saw, including the ones on their side and the ghosts were just fighting, not bothering to watch out for who they were hitting. Vlad had the advantage of his army being pure ghosts. However, Danny could see that his allies were giving it their all.

Sana, who was in the air, was throwing out red blasts repeatedly. Within two seconds, she had knocked down six of their enemies. Then, swiftly turning around, she aimed several more. Klemper was breathing out ice at anyone who came near. They froze instantly and the Lunch Lady, making sure that they were enemies, targeted and destroyed them. Skulker and Ember had joined to work together and were fighting back-to-back. He shot missiles from one end and she played her guitar and knocked her opponents into the air.

Desiree, however, had managed to separate them. Then, swinging around, she thrust her tail at them both and knocked them off of their feet. Ember dropped her guitar and landed on her back with a groan.

She shot an angry look at Desiree as the genie raised her hands high above her head to cast a spell. However, Sana appeared at her side and offered to finish Ember off. Desiree nodded in agreement and headed in a different direction.

The darkly dressed ghost got to her feet and faced her new rival. Sana narrowed her eyes and Ember laughed.

"Show me what you've got," she called as her hair rose higher by a few inches. It didn't take long for Sana to realize that her rival's allies were cheering for her. She clawed her fingers and emitted a red flame from each hand. Ember did the same, emitting her own blue ones. She beat Sana to the attack and fired. However, the younger teen ran a few steps to the side and evaded the attack. It targeted Skulker and knocked him down while also causing him to miss the shot he had aimed at Dora.

After dodging the attack, Sana threw out her two flames and Ember prepared to jump out of the way. However, the two red balls of fire landed at least three feet away and she let out a laugh.

"You've got a nice shot," she commented sarcastically. But to her surprise, Sana smirked. She rose up into the air, saluted with two fingers, and took off. Ember raised a brow and looked down, letting out a shocked scream at what she saw. Her guitar was lying several feet away, broken to pieces with a faint red smoke emerging from it.

"Jazz!" Maddie called as she pushed through the crowd. She had to duck twice to avoid being hit by ectoplasm. Danny formed a shield to repel most of the attacks, but it faded quickly. His attention was on too many things for him to focus on one defense.

"Stay close," his mother ordered as she pulled him closer. It was surprising how she was looking into the face of Danny Phantom and yet, she was acting as if nothing had changed since he left the house that morning.

_It's not exactly the Danny Phantom she's used to seeing,_ a voice in the back of his mind said, reminding him once again that he was in his PE mode and looked slightly different, including the blue eyes.

"What's that?" Jack asked worriedly, looking up at the sky. Danny looked up as well. Sana, Desiree, Kitty, Johnny 13, Dora in her dragon form, and Sidney Poindexter (riding on her shoulders) were all fighting one ghost — Vlad. To little surprise, he was holding up pretty well. Desiree had managed to hit him once, but he got her back just as quickly. Soon, several more ghosts were ignoring their previous battles to join their allies in fighting the halfa. Slowly, Vlad was starting to lose to the great difference in numbers.

However, the abandoned ghosts below were beginning to fight with him now and another battle was forming higher up. Fortunately, most of the ghosts on Vlad's side had joined him and left the people free to fight without distractions.

"It's only him left," Danny said to his parents as they continued to search for Jazz. "If we can get rid of him, the others won't be a problem."

"What about the other one?" Jack asked when all three finally stopped.

"He's gone," Danny assumed. "I think that last blast took him out."

"I highly doubt that," Maddie interrupted. "He's impervious to many things. My bazooka couldn't even send him into the Ghost Zone. All it did was knock him back. He's not like the others."

"Because he has more powers than the others," Danny replied. "He takes all of their powers and mixes it with his own energy. Maybe his signature is different than the average ghost."

"I don't know what it is, but I'm not going to take my chances and let him find us. We have to get Jazz now and go home."

"No!" Danny said, finally pulling himself out of her grasp. She turned around with a confused look on her face. He stepped back.

"It'll never end if we run. We have to stop him _now_," Danny urged, pointing up at the sky toward the town's public enemy #2. "That's the only way to get rid of this alternate Amity Park."

At this, both of his parents seemed at a loss. However, Maddie grabbed his arm again, but he phased through her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "but I've come too far to give up now."

Without saying another word, Danny took off, leaving his parents looking bewildered.

"Mom!"

Both Fentons turned around to find their daughter, Sam, and Tucker running towards them. Sure enough, they were being followed by the same creatures that they had lost several minutes ago.

"Jazz!" Maddie opened her arms to embrace her, but Jack noticed the various injuries on her and turned to Sam and Tucker.

"What happened?"

"Ghosts," Tucker replied panting. He looked over his shoulder at the approaching shadows.

"This isn't good. We're outnumbered. We need to get Danny and get out of here," he called to his wife who was now kneeled down beside Jazz as they pulled out of their hug.

At those words, all three teenagers averted their eyes. They looked back in the direction they were running from and Maddie raised a brow.

"Jasmine?" she asked quietly. "What happened?"

A tear rolled down Jazz's cheek and she quivered slightly.

"D-Danny's gone," she choked, no longer fighting back the tears. Maddie and Jack turned to each other confused and then looked back up the sky.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danny ascended through the air toward the two groups of ghosts. He passed the first one which mainly consisted of a mixture of shadows and a few members of his army and was now able to see the main battle going on a little higher.

Skulker, Desiree, Sana, Technus, Kitty, Johnny 13, Dora, Aragon, Poindexter, the Fright knight, Walker, and Spectra were all joined in the fight. Of course, Vlad was the strongest and, with the extra help, was now taking down Danny's allies easily.

"Get back!" he ordered Walker as he fired two powerful beams of red ectoplasm. They hit Sana and Desiree and sent them falling. Danny stopped in the air to try to reach out to them but they were too far and he couldn't catch them. Both girls crashed into the ground hard and remained there. His eyes narrowed in anger and he turned back to Plasmius. For some reason, he was actually beginning to feel very protective of his allies, despite the fact that they would return to being his enemies if they won.

Feeling his anger growing, Danny sped through the air again and charged at the other halfa. Plasmius sent another two beams that threw back Johnny and Kitty (who were about to take down Skulker). They regained balance and flew back at him. He smirked and held out his hands again. His ghostly aura had become more luminescent, but they were too blinded by their rage to notice.

Plasmius' aura created a bright light that covered his entire body. When the flare disappeared, his arms up to the elbows were glowing with red ectoplasm. By the time the approaching ghosts had noticed he had already released the blasts, which formed together to create one massive one.

Johnny and Kitty held up their hands to create a shield, but the blast easily broke through it. Both figures disappeared within the light with one last scream as it descended upon the citizens. They panicked and began running out of the way as it crashed into the ground. The force of it sent several people flying ten feet through the air before they landed at least five yards away from it. The blast had wiped out an entire block and left a huge crevice in the ground. Johnny and Kitty, no doubt unconscious, were caught between stones and dirt.

Vlad sneered in satisfaction and then laughed. He turned to face his allies but instead saw a black fist soon followed by several stars. Aragon flew down and caught him on his back before he could figure out what had happened.

However, after following the gazes of his partners, he was soon able to spot a familiar teenage ghost kid hovering above them all with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You!" he hissed angrily. That was pretty much he only thing he could say. He stuttered a bit and then rose off of Aragon's scaly back and back into the air. "How are you still alive?"

At this, Danny's expression turned fierce and his eyes reverted to their blue entirety. Vlad was taken aback by his reaction, but he kept a straight face and flew up so that he and his nemesis were now at exact eye level.

The remaining ghosts had separated and went to join their group leaders, but the halfas held out their hands to signal for them to stop.

"I can handle this," Vlad said to them, now speaking very seriously. They got the hint and backed away, each one turning their attention to Danny. His army had backed down as well on his order. Vlad raised a brow.

"_You're_ actually going fight alone?" he asked, amused. Danny scowled.

"I'm not fighting alone," he said back. At this, Vlad laughed.

"Oh that's right, you've got your friends standing by you no matter what, right?" he mocked, but Danny's expression did not change.

Instead, he got into his fighting stance and simply said, "Yes."

Without hesitation, he released a powerful blue beam at Plasmius, but he phased through it and became tangible when he was only inches away from Danny's face. However, he was expecting that and threw a punch which made a direct hit with Vlad's face. He fell back and roared in anger, aimlessly shooting another ectoplasmic blast.

Danny held out a hand and absorbed the attack. Then he released the same blast through his other hand and it targeted Vlad. The vampire-like ghost raised one of his hands, emitted a purple glow from it, and disintegrated the blast in a second. Still charging forward, he aimed a punch at Danny with the same hand, but the white haired ghost took in a deep breath and then yelled, releasing powerful waves of energy.

A deafening wail shattered the serenity of the starry skies and sent an earsplitting noise down on the citizens, averting their attention from the battle below to the new one up in the sky between the town's two public enemies.

"Danny?" Sam whispered, unsure if it was really him, but the familiar ring of blue light that had just appeared confirmed it. It traveled in opposing directions up and down his body, transforming him out of his power-enhanced mode and back into regular Danny Phantom.

Plasmius was thrown back from the force of the attack. Danny continued his wail until his transformation. He felt his energy rapidly depleting and put a hand to his head immediately. Now that he was back to his normal form, things were going to be a lot harder. It'd be best to avoid another ghostly wail.

Maddie narrowed her eyes in anger and clenched her fists. She turned around to face the three children behind her.

"Go home you three. Jasmine, I want you to activate the Ghost Portal."

Jazz looked at her quizzically and then back up at the battle.

"But Danny needs me—"

"I know," her mother cut her off. She grabbed her wrist and began to run. Jazz followed closely behind and left Sam, Tucker, and Jack very confused.

"Maddie, wait up!" Jack called after her as he took off behind them. Sam and Tucker looked at each other and then back up.

"Come on," Sam said, pushing forward through the crowd of scattered people. They were now running as blasts exploded around them.

"Sam, we're going the wrong way," Tucker called as she dragged him toward the center of the crowd.

"No we're not. Can I borrow this?" she asked quickly, pulling a weapon out of a passing woman's hands. It was loaded with red ectoplasm and she smiled.

She brought the weapon up to her eye and aimed. Tucker stepped back and looked up.

"No way! Sam, you might hit Danny."

He ran forward and pushed the GRC down before she could fire.

"Tucker, I had a clear shot."

"You don't know that," he replied. "They're moving too fast. You might miss."

"What're you talking about? They're not moving at all!"

As soon as she said this, Vlad flew forward and bent his arm back. He emitted a red blast and pressed it forward into Danny. He took the hit and fell back.

Plasmius wrapped his cape around himself and disappeared in a puff of red smoke. He reappeared behind Danny and, swinging the cape back over his shoulder, created another ghost ray. Danny became intangible and phased through the older halfa before he could release the attack.

Danny regained control and flew back towards his rival. Both ghosts created another beam of energy and green mixed with red in a colossal explosion that sent them both speeding back through the air. Vlad crashed into the town billboard and Danny flipped through his fall and landed smoothly on his feet. He took off again and fired another blast, though Vlad became intangible and dodged it.

While he was distracted, Danny created an energy blade. It dove into the ground and advanced on the malevolent ghost. He once again emitted the familiar purple light from his hand and held it out in front of him. It made contact with the blast.

The purple coloring of Vlad's power mixed with the blue of Danny's energy blade and it leaked through the blast like blood in water. Eventually, the purple reached Danny's hands and he cried out in pain when it touched him. He pulled his hands back and the energy blade disappeared.

Danny bit his lip to try to take his mind off the pain, but it was no use. His palms were bleeding green blood. He looked up and clenched his teeth.

Plasmius curled his glowing hand into a fist and held it before him to prepare a defense for any other oncoming attack. Danny felt a searing pain spread through his eyes and closed them immediately. Then, remembering the familiarity of the feeling, opened them again just as two green beams were fired out of them and towards Plasmius. He flew forward to face the blast head on.

Danny's eyes widened in suspicion and confusion. Why was he heading straight for it? Plasmius' hand flashed again, but this time, the purple glow spread up his arm like his other blast. He held his arm out in front of him and flew directly into the two green beams.

They exploded on impact and he continued flying, going right through them. Danny was unsure of what was going on. All he could see was an explosion up ahead. Then, suddenly, Plasmius emerged from the green light with his arm still out in front of him. He cried out in fury and swung his hand across Danny's chest.

The young ghost screamed louder than he knew he could as the agonizing light cut across his torso, slashing his suit and burning his skin. He pulled back immediately, but green blood was already emerging from the wound.

There was another flash of light, though this time it was a bluish white. A ring had formed around his midsection. He was changing back.

"No," he muttered through gritted teeth. He pushed the rings back together and they disappeared. By the time he looked up, Vlad was already charging. He raised his hand to create a ghost ray, but another bream of green ectoplasm hit him from the side and threw him off balance.

"What the—?" he said angrily, turning to see what hit him. Danny looked around as well and caught sight of the Spectre Speeder. Maddie was in the driver's seat and Jazz was riding shotgun. His mother reached forward to activate something and he noticed a gun-like weapon protrude from the roof of the vehicle. It glowed green and then fired an electric-looking beam of ectoplasm. It hit the ghost again and he fell further through the skies.

"And of course, someone has to come to young Daniel's rescue," he snapped angrily, receiving a look of hate from Danny. He ground his teeth and closed his hands into fists.

"Do us all a favor, Vlad," he said agitatedly, staring eye-to-eye at his opponent, "and put your money where your mouth is."

Allowing his anger to take control, he held out both of his hands and created an ectoplasmic blast. Releasing more energy into it, it increased in size and force and ended up being more painful than Plasmius had expected. For the third consecutive time, he was thrown back through the air, though this time, it hurt a lot more.

There was a faint change from dark to light and Danny looked up at the sky, as well as everyone else beneath them. It was the same, but he could've sworn he saw something.

"Danny, look out!" Jazz said through the speakers. He turned his gaze back to what happening before him and noticed Plasmius headed toward him.

He raised his fists in a fighting stance, but then his rival split himself into three others. Now up against four, Danny was beginning to get panicked.

"Get out of here!" he ordered his mother and sister, but Maddie just scowled at the four ghosts surrounding her son. She undid her seatbelt and reached into the backseat for something. Jazz took over the wheel.

"Allow me," one of the four Plasmiuses said as he aimed a ghost ray at the vehicle. Jazz narrowed her eyes and swerved to the left as he released it. Danny, however, created a green shield in front of it and repelled the attack. He then cried out as three blasts hit him from behind.

The Plasmius duplicates were floating around him. They each fired another ghost ray, but Danny crouched down and formed a circular shield around him. The three ghosts were expecting him to do that and rammed into him. His shield faded away and he stumbled through the air, clutching his chest.

They laughed, charged again, and shoved him, though this time they did not let go. He could feel them pushing him down and no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free. His mind was too worried to focus and intangibility and he ended up collided into the ground with his already aching back.

The three Plasmiuses stood up above him and each of their eyes flashed red. Danny closed his own and phased through the floor before their blasts could reach him. He appeared behind them and created a blast of his own.

They all turned around in surprise at his quick recovery.

"Daniel—" one of them began, but Danny released his blast and swung his hand through the air so that it hit all three of them.

They disappeared with a combined shout. Danny stepped forward cautiously. There was no one around and everything seemed calm. Suddenly, a red flare hit him from behind again and sent him falling forward into the ground. He sat up immediately, clutching his chest again, and looked over his shoulder to find none other than Plasmius.

"You've had your fun," he said quietly. "But now I'm fed up."

He reached a hand towards Danny. A red glow appeared in the tips of his outstretched fingers, but instead of releasing it, he raised his hand slowly higher. Danny gasped as he felt his entire body being lifted. He tried to struggle but it was no use.

"Let go of him!" Maddie shouted out angrily. Her voice caught his attention, but he did not turn around. Danny saw a jet pack strapped to her back.

"Look out!" he called over Vlad's shoulder. Maddie turned around to find the Plasmius duplicates standing behind her.

"He can split himself into three other forms?" she wondered aloud.

"Don't touch her!" Danny said angrily. Vlad smiled.

"Oh but Daniel, why would I? After all, she is the love of my life."

Danny raised a brow at his tone, but his mother's shriek caught his attention and he looked back at her. One of the clones had grabbed her from behind. She narrowed her eyes and kicked up, managing to get him in the nose with her knee. When he released his grip, she threw him over her and turned to the remaining two. They advanced on her, but she rose into the air with her jet pack.

Thinking fast, she reached into her black pouch and pulled out the Jack-o-nine tails. They separated, but she aimed at the one nearest to her. It wrapped around his torso and she spun around, swinging him into the second duplicate. They both disappeared, leaving the one she had flipped earlier. It aimed a blast at her jet pack, but she took it off and fell to the floor. The blast collided with the jet pack and caused a small explosion. In the puff of smoke, Maddie got down on the ground and swung her leg around and kicking his ankles. He tripped and fell over. Then, taking out a laser lipstick, she aimed it at him and burned a curved and thin line through the duplicate. It disappeared, leaving only the original levitating Danny.

"I'm going to say this once," she warned, tightening her fists. "Let go of my son."

Finally, Plasmius turned around to face her and laughed. Danny, who now had his back to her, looked over his shoulder to keep her in his view.

"Maddie, when did you become so protective of the ghost boy? Just a few days ago, you would stop at nothing to completely destroy him. And now you're threatening _me_ to try to save him? How touching."

Maddie glared, but she couldn't help but feel guilty. Everything he just said was true. For about half a year she had made it her ultimate goal to get rid of Danny Phantom, no matter what it took. And yet, here she was, standing right in front of him (or technically behind since his back was now facing her) and only now did it occur to her that it was her own son she was trying to kill all this time. The same boy she had given life to, and she had tried so many times to take it away from him.

Danny's eyes widened in surprise. Maddie's tightened fists had become softer. She was breathing shakily and trembling. Her eyes were wet and glossy and many tears had fallen down her troubled face.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to him. His eyes were full of sympathy at this point. He didn't know what to do.

"Mom—"

Without warning, Plasmius released his control over Danny and he fell to the ground, very confused. When he looked up, Vlad was already heading towards Maddie. She took a few steps back, but did not do anything to fight back. Her mind was still on the weighing guilt.

Danny got to his feet and called out to her again, this time loud enough for her to hear. She turned to him, still teary eyed.

"I forgive you — for everything. And I don't blame you for doing your job. To be honest, I'm guilty too. I kept my secret from you thinking that you would try to hurt me if you knew, but I was wrong. And if I knew you better, we could've avoided all of our past conflicts . . . well the ones involving Inviso-Bill anyway." She gave a small grin at the fact that he had called himself the name they both knew he resented. However, it disappeared just as quickly and he continued speaking. "But after all the effort you put into trying to get rid of Danny Phantom, you're going give up now and let the _real_ enemy get away?"

Those words got through to her. She gave him another weak smile which he returned and then faced her oncoming attacker. Her expression turned fierce and she stretched her fingers and shook her hands a little to ease her tense. Then, bending her knees slightly, she held her arms before her in a fighting stance.

"Don't even try, woman; I'm a ghost," Plasmius called out to her when he reached out to grab her. She narrowed her eyes and flipped back. He grabbed the air instead as she landed on her hands and then, instead of completing the flip, kicked out and hit him in the side of the head. He stumbled back and blinked a few times.

"And I'm a ninth degree black belt," she replied, returning to her stance. "What's your point?"

Danny appeared behind Plamius with a satisfied grin and prepared to assist his mother in the battle, but Maddie, who was on the opposite end, beckoned him away.

"I've got this one, dear. You just sit back and relax."

Before Danny could argue, both Plasmius and his mother ran towards each other and began their battle. He rose into the air and reached out both hands. They began to glow and Maddie jumped up. A shield formed in the place she was standing but she managed to avoid it. Once in the air, she spun around twice, kicking out with each leg each time. To Danny's amazement, she had managed to hit Vlad both times. He fell into the ground head first.

"Go Mom!" he cheered. Maddie gave him a thumb up and returned to her fighting stance, though this time her fingers were straight instead of curled into fists. Plasmius pushed himself up from the ground and turned around to face her. He wiped a little green blood from his scraped cheek and frowned.

"Not bad at all, Maddie," he complimented, receiving a scowl from her. "I think I've held back long enough."

At this, both Danny and Maddie raised their brows in confusion. Vlad smirked and began walking up to her.

"If I can't have you," he said quietly, glancing at Danny as well, "then nobody can."

He held out both hands, one facing Maddie and the other at Danny and fired two beams of ectoplasm. The young halfa gasped and created a shield around his mother. It reflected the beam, but he was left unprotected and took both hits.

"Danny!" she shouted as he fell to the floor, clutching his wounded chest again. Then, throwing an angry look at Vlad, she ran toward him and cried out in anger. He raised his hands in defense, but she grabbed them with her own, swung them over her head, and appeared behind him, still holding his hands though this time against his back. He phased through her grasp, but she hit the back of head with her palm, jumped up, and kicked him in the back, sending him falling face first into the ground while she did a backwards summersault and landed perfectly.

"Do _not_ touch my son," she warned. Plasmius narrowed his eyes and stood up. His hands were glowing.

"Bring it on, woman," he snarled.

Danny stood up several feet behind her and emitted his own ectoplasmic energy. Maddie hadn't noticed the extra backup, but Vlad did. He glanced over her shoulder at the boy and then looked back at her.

"Danny!" a familiar voice called from behind him. His eyes widened and he gasped and turned around. Sam and Tucker were running up to him. He looked back at his mother and Plasmius and then ran away from them, trying to keep Sam and Tucker from entering the battle.

He dashed toward them and the three friends stopped in front of each other.

"Sam, Tucker," Danny whispered, relieved to see them okay. Instead of a reply, both of them ran closer and embraced him tightly. He stumbled back in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around them and returned the hug.

"Danny hurry. The town's in trouble," Sam said when they pulled apart. "There are ghosts everywhere."

"What else is new?" Danny mumbled.

"No no no," Tucker corrected. "There are ghosts _and_ about a hundred more shadow ghosts."

"Shadow ghosts?" Danny whispered. His eyes widened in fright and he turned back to them.

"Guys, the shadow ghosts! They were following me too!"

"Um . . . okay," Tucker said, not catching on. Danny sighed in frustration.

"Don't you get it? They're still coming . . . on someone's command. But they follow orders from one ghost. Only _one_ ghost."

His friends looked at each other with confusion and then simultaneously their eyes widened and they turned back to him.

"Crud . . ."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The dark night skies were lit up by the several stars up above and the luminescent moon. It cast light upon the blackened streets, only to reveal several dark figures slithering through the ground.

There were several shouts from up ahead as people one by one hit the ground, their weapons falling and shattering beside them. Light drops of rain were beginning to pour down on them from the cloudless sky, adding more to the confusion of the alternate town.

A metal suited ghost floated above them all with his arms crossed over his chest. He nodded his head once and the hoard of ghouls behind him sprang forward to attack the fallen humans again. They gasped in fright, but another group of ghosts (much smaller than it had been when the battle began several hours ago) stepped up to cover their injured allies.

A faint smile formed on Skulker's face when he saw his group stop at the sight of the newcomers.

"So, you've finally learned to work together," he called out to them. "It's a little too late now, I'm afraid."

"This ends now," Desiree retorted as she glided forward with her hands glowing a light shade of red. Simultaneously, the ghouls behind her all stretched out their hands and emitted their own energy. Skulker's smile widened and he looked down at the floor.

The slithering shadows rose up above the ground around Danny's army, startling a few of the humans, but the last five or six specters in the group surrounded the people and covered them. The shadow ghosts, however, were not interested in attacking. They moved around the crowd of Danny's allies and appeared beside Skulker's group, ready to attack.

At this point, they were greatly outnumbered. Sana, who was standing right beside Desiree, scanned the crowd and then turned to her friend.

"There are about four hundred of them now and thirty-five of us," she estimated.

"What happened to the others?" Desiree asked. They were missing a few.

"Plasmius got to them," the red-haired teen replied, putting a hand to her head. "And I'm still feeling a little light headed from his last attack."

"We can't let them win," Dora said. She stepped up to the front of the crowd, though this time as a human. She was exhausted from the nonstop battling.

"But there are only thirty-five of us," Poindexter reminded her.

"Thirty-nine," Valerie corrected, stepping forward with her ecto-gun raised. Jack and Star were right beside her and Jazz, in the Spectre Speeder, was hovering above them.

Some of the fallen people were now beginning to get up. Those without weapons stood close to others, but they refused to run. Eventually, everyone was back on their feet looking very exhausted but determined. Valerie hopped onto her flyer and rose high into the sky. She loaded her weapon and aimed it at Skulker.

"Bring it on!" she called. As if on cue, Skulker's allies charged forward and began firing blasts. However, Danny's army, now being the more resolute ones, began fighting with every bit of power they could muster.

Within only seconds, three large blasts had wiped out about a quarter of Evieor's army. Once down, the people took the chance to capture and seal them in the GRC's.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker sprinted across the streets of Amity Park. Each one of them was panting heavily, but they continued to run. Danny took the lead and began looking around, hoping to reach their destination soon. For some reason, he could feel his energy returning. Eventually, they took a turn and began running up the hill in hopes of getting a good view of the rest of the town.

He began to slow down and Sam and Tucker followed suit. They stepped forward and looked down. To no surprise, another battle had already begun. Further down was nothing but darkness and the endless abyss below it.

"Come on," Danny called. He ran forward and jumped off the edge, leaving his two friends behind as he flew straight into the battle.

"Uh, we'll go the other way," Sam said, knowing he couldn't hear. Tucker nodded and they turned and ran down the hill to go meet their friend.

Danny flew through crowd and averted several passing beams. He caught sight of Valerie up ahead and sped up. She was fighting an ectopus. It grabbed her weapon with one of its tentacles and pulled it out of her grasp. She stumbled forward a little and then stood up again to take other, but it rammed into her and sent her flying backwards. She was thrown off the flyer and fell headfirst.

Danny gasped and flew down to try to catch her. She tilted her body back into a flip so that she was now falling with her feet towards the ground, but he caught up with her anyway and took hold of her waist just before she landed. He failed to stop in time and ended up hitting the floor anyway, but he pulled her up above him first so that only he took the hit.

Valerie, who was now lying halfway on his chest and halfway on the floor, pulled out of his grasp and stood up.

"Danny?" she whispered, bending down to get a closer look. He opened his eyes and moaned. She stood back up to give him room to sit.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, reaching her hand out.

"Yeah thanks," she replied, pulling him to his feet.

"'_I'm surprised you even care'_," Danny imitated in her voice. She laughed.

"Nah, now I know you care."

Danny was taken aback by her response.

"Wha-what made you change your mind?"

Valerie hesitated to answer. She look down at the floor and shrugged. Then she turned her gaze back to him, looking straight into his gleaming green eyes.

"I guess I _do _trust you. Apparently more than I knew."

She smiled at him and he smiled back, continuing to stare at each other, unaware that a darkly dressed girl was watching them in the distance.

"I've got a battle to finish off," Danny said, finally looking away. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he wasn't feeling the usual warmth that he felt when looking in Val's eyes.

"_We've_ got a battle to finish off," she corrected, summoning her flyer. He frowned and looked at her with a much more serious expression.

"No, it's too dangerous. I'll take it from here," he insisted, but Val was too stubborn to go down that fast — and he knew that. Just as she opened her mouth to argue, he flew past, grabbed the jet sled, and flew up into the sky, stopping about fifteen feet in the air to look back at her.

"Hey!" she shouted angrily. He chuckled mischievously and saluted, receiving a glare. "I'll get you for that ghost kid!" she called.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Danny replied before flying off.

"Danny!" Tucker called when Danny had flown over. The halfa stopped and descended.

"What's up," he asked.

"I can't find Sam," he said worriedly.

"I'm right here," Sam said, startling him. He shrieked and jumped back, clutching his heart.

"Don't — do that," he panted. It was hectic enough with the ghosts everywhere.

"Here, hold this," he said to his Goth friend, handing her the flyer. He took off and she grinned at the device.

"She's gonna kick his—"

"Ghosts!" Jack shouted. He ran in front of Sam and Tucker and aimed one of his many ghost-related devices at the three ghouls approaching them. "Get back kids," he ordered.

Knowing all too well what the Fenton inventions were capable of doing, the two didn't hesitate to move out of the way. There was a blinding green flash, several shrieks, and the usual, "Take that you fiends!" before he took off running again.

"Come on, we've got to help Danny," Tucker said to Sam. She nodded in agreement, but a raged Valerie dashed toward them and caught her attention. She sighed and held out the flyer.

"Here," Sam said while the teenage girl tried to catch her breath. She looked up, took it, and took off without a word. Tucker seemed very confused, but he didn't get a chance to ask when Sam began running after her.

One of Walker's goons held out a glowing green rod and pointed it the floating vehicle. Jazz noticed and flew out of the way. The green beam emitted from it hit one of his allies and knocked him into Skulker.

"Watch it!" he yelled, pushing the guard off of him. The ghost narrowed his eyes and pointing his own rod. Skulker stepped back and pressed down on his wrist. Two midsized cannons appeared from the armor on his shoulders and he prepared to fire. However, Walker appeared between the two ghosts and called down his guard.

"The last thing we need is to start fighting against each other," he snapped at them both. "Incase you haven't noticed, they're winning."

Skulker let out a laugh and his weapons returned back into his suit.

"You're joking right? It's four hundred versus—"

A bright green light interrupted him and all three ghosts turned to see about ten of their allies being vaporized with one last shriek. Skulker's eyes widened and he turned back to Walker.

"That was me," Danny called. They turned their attention to him and, in unison, narrowed their eyes in anger.

"You again!" Walker growled. Danny smiled and held out a hand.

"Me again."

A green flash escaped his palm and knocked the three back. Walker hit a street lamp. Walker got to his feet immediately and clenched his fist. Danny raised a brow, but a red flash beat him to it and hit the ghost from the side. He let out a shout of surprise and then rage as it pulled him into a metal device. Another two beams were fired and Skulker and the guard were the next to be pulled into the GRC.

Sam twirled it around her finger casually and nodded at her friend. He smiled back at her and ran forward. Suddenly, her expression changed to fright and she shouted, "Danny!"

He turned around and saw a red flash. Thinking fast, he bent his knees, picked his feet up off the floor by about an inch, and held out a hand to create a circular green shield around him. It destroyed the beam and he stepped back onto the ground to see who had fired it.

Sure enough, it was one of the humans. He had blonde hair and a mullet and was holding the GRC up threateningly. Danny remembered seeing someone like him wearing an anti-Danny Phantom shirt during the last war.

"Great, more friends," he muttered to Sam. She scowled and stepped in front of him.

"Back off!" she demanded, but the attacker did not move.

"Step away from the ghost, Samantha," a voice ordered. She cringed and turned her head slowly to the right only to find her parents there. A group of people were now forming around the two teenagers with raised weapons. Danny looked around nervously.

"Mom, Dad, it's Danny," Sam called to them, but her mother's only reply was, "We know."

Sam's eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing. Her own parents were ready and willing to tear apart her best friend. She bit her lip and turned her GRC on her parents.

"Leave him alone!"

"Don't raise your voice at me—"

"You leave him alone!" she yelled again, firing a beam at them. The flash caused them to shield their eyes while she grabbed Danny's wrist and ran. The crowd around them shouted in anger and began chasing them, but it did not last long when another group of people stopped them. Jack was in the front.

"Back away from my son," he ordered.

"Your son's a ghost and it's your job to get rid of him," one of the opposing members argued. Jack's temper was steadily rising.

"He's done nothing wrong. It's that Plasmius ghost that we should be going after. Stop fighting each other. We're not going to get anywhere by going after Danny."

"What do you know?" an angry woman shouted from behind Mrs. Manson.

"A lot more than you," Jack retorted. He turned his back on them and his fellow Danny Phantom supporters followed.

"Thanks Dad," Danny said as he ran up to his father to embrace him.

"Don't thank me yet, Son. You've still got a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Danny pulled away, sighed, and muttered, "Yeah, I was afraid of that."

"But first," Jack said with a mischievous smile as he held up his weapon.

Knowing all too well how off aim his father's shooting was, Danny immediately ran out of the way. There were numerous green flashes behind him and several ghostly wails.

Soon, the whole area was lit up with different colored flashes of energy as both sides battled severely. He too began shooting out ectoplasm, trying to avoid hitting anyone on his side. It was hard to be so careful when everyone was moving so swiftly. One second he saw an ectopus and then the other Kujo was running after it barking menacingly.

Everyone was moving too fast. A red beam passed in front of him and then another behind. Finally, the third hit him and sent him spiraling through the air. He landed on the cement of the sidewalk. His eyes flashed green and he looked up angrily, but all he could make out was gray and beige smoke.

"Sam!" Danny called. "Tucker!"

With all the noise of the crowd behind the smoke, he couldn't hear if one of them had replied. It was like a constant buzzing in his head. He put his hands to his ears, gritted his teeth, and shut his eyes tightly. This was definitely going to give him a migraine.

Suddenly, a faint image flashed through his mind. And then another. Danny screamed and fell to his knees, now pressing against his ears as hard as he could. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open his eyes. The images kept coming. They were getting clearer and moving more rapidly. He could see two gray eyes appearing consecutively and then people running. Bright flashes of red and green light were appearing everywhere and then two connected, creating an explosion.

The explosion led to a different image — a little girl falling on the street, trying to avoid people's feet as they ran past. A woman ran by, pulled her into her arms, and took off. There was another flash and he saw a giant black beast in a green sweat suit being hit by an energy beam. He stumbled back, regained balance, roared in anger, and dashed forward. Jumping into the air, he reached both paws out to reveal several sharp claws. The image faded again and was replaced by another.

This one was of two figures. One of them fired an ectoblast, but the second jumped over it. She twisted over, landed on the ground with her hands, and swung her legs over, managing to lock her opponent between her ankles, and then threw him off balance. He fell the floor, landed one on of his hands, and pushed himself back up.

The image faded to black and Danny, who had ground his teeth due to the splitting headache, finally pulled his hands away from his head and took a few deep and calming breaths.

"DANNY!" someone screamed desperately. Danny's head shot up immediately and he looked around.

"Huh? Wha—?"

_"You'll be at my mercy soon enough, Danny Phantom."_

The voice sent chills down Danny's spine and he rose to his feet immediately and glanced around.

_"Danny!"_ the first voice shouted again. He gasped and turned around instantly to follow the direction it had come from. However, a black mass of energy formed in the smoke and a head appeared out of it. Two sharp fangs headed straight for him and he leaned back to try to avoid the attack, but it was too late. They pierced his skin and went through him. He cried out in anguish. It felt as if every nerve in his body had been burned and his molecules were shifting.

And sure enough, the blurry yellowish color of the smoke disappeared and was replaced by the sharp midnight blue of the nighttime sky. He landed hard on his stomach on the disturbed grass.

For a minute, everything seemed quiet. The breeze was soft and calm, despite what was going on further down in the town. But something didn't seem right. How'd it suddenly become so quiet? He lifted his head off the grass and let out a gasp. The same pain he had felt a few seconds ago shot through him and he fell back down, gritting his teeth in agony. But the longer it remained still, the faster it began to subside until he was able to get back on his feet.

Maddie was up ahead, wearing some sort of silver metal gauntlet on her right hand. Claws were protruding out of it. Plamius was a few feet in front of her on hands and knees. He was clutching his chest for some reason.

It was hard to tell what was going on from his distance. They seemed like miniscule figures to him. He looked down at his own chest and saw the bloodstained tear on his suit where Plasmius had cut him. If that left a scar . . .

Gathering his strength, Danny began walking forward. There was a faint crack beneath him as he stepped on a twig and Maddie's eyes immediately turned to him.

"Danny!" she called, abandoning Vlad and running over to him. She pulled him into a tight hug and he felt his legs tremble at the force. When she finally released him, he swayed on the spot for about a second until she pulled his arm to keep him from falling.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" she asked, putting a hand to his forehead.

He pushed it away gently and mumbled, "I'm fine. What's with Plasmius?"

Maddie turned to look over her shoulder at the crouching ghost. He was trying to get up, but each effort ended in him falling back down. She held up her gloved hand and Danny backed away slowly. It was his usual reaction to seeing any of his parents' new inventions.

"Your father and I built this one after the Ghost War last month. It's the new and improved Fenton Gauntlets. But we didn't finish making its pair. Well, anyway, to make a long story short, I severely weakened his ghostly aura and shortened out most of his powers. He won't be fighting back for a while."

"Good," Danny said, walking past his mother and towards Plasmius. "Then it's time to end this."

She nodded and followed behind him. Vlad looked up at his rival when he stopped before him. His eyes were hazed and he seemed paler than usual.

"Daniel," he managed to whisper. He said the name with pure hatred, but Danny ignored him.

"It's over," he said simply.

"No, it's not."

Danny's head jerked up and his eyes widened in dread. Both halfas and Maddie turned around to find a tall dark figure approaching them. He stopped about three feet from away from Danny's mother. The light of the moon reflected on his gray skin, casting a shadow over half of his face while making the other half visible.

"In fact, it is _far_ from over."

His voice sent chills down Danny's spine, but nevertheless, the halfa stood his ground. Evieor turned his gaze upon his fallen ally and smirked.

"Beaten at the hands of a human," he spat. "Pathetic."

Vlad's narrowed his hollowed eyes and winced.

"It's not over yet."

"For you . . . it is," the ghost replied. "You lost your chance. This is _my_ fight now."

Danny shot him a fierce look and tightened his clenched fists. Evieor turned his gaze to him and took another three steps forward as he spoke.

"And this time, it's just _you_ and_ me_."

He raised his right hand and created a black string of energy. It wrapped around Maddie's waist and pulled her into the air.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, but he did not listen. He swung her further and released her when she was at least ten yards away. She fell back into the ground and sat up angrily. A small black dome formed around her. No matter how hard she tried hitting it, it would not budge.

Danny shot Evieor a look of pure hatred and emitted two green flares from his hands. Without saying a word, he sprinted forward, rose into the air, and swung his hands down. The green changed to blue and an energy blade crashed into the ground, but Evioer jumped up and evaded the attack. While in the air, he strung an invisible chord and a giant fist appeared and shot forward.

Danny, still holding the end of the energy blade his palm, titled his torso and swung his arms to the right, dragging the blade with him. It formed as a shield against the fist and both blasts exploded. Evieor swiftly sped through the air to avoid the blast, but Danny remained where he was and created a shield. The wind and excess energy from the explosion hit the barrier and went around it, leaving him unharmed.

When the blast had cleared, he dismissed the shield and looked around, still with a furious expression set on his face. There was a black blur behind him and he turned his head immediately to the right.

Sure enough, Evieor was flying at him at a speed of 140 mph. Danny held out an arm before him and blocked the ghost's punch. He then swung his other arm around and sent his own fist at his opponent.

Evieor made himself intangible and Danny's hand went straight through him. Then he made himself solid again and trapped Danny within him. The halfa struggled, but could not break free. Getting angry, he created a blast with his free hand and pushed it into his rival. He shouted in rage and pulled away while Danny phased through and released himself.

"Not a bad fighter when you're angry," Evieor commented, holding his face with one hand.

"You're not that bad," Danny said, still keeping his expression. His rival smirked and lunged forward. He glided to the right and evaded the attack. Then, appearing behind him, fired his own ghost ray and added, "_Terrible_ would be more accurate."

Evieor hissed angrily, revealing his fangs and flew at the halfa to attack again. Danny narrowed his eyes more and waited. When the ghost was a foot away, he tilted his body back. Evieor flew over him and missed. Danny then kicked up and managed to get his enemy in the stomach. He threw him over and then fired another ghost ray that hit him halfway through his fall. He was thrust back with a jolt and landed in the ground, leaving a long trail behind him until he finally stopped.

Without hesitation, Danny turned over so that his stomach was facing the floor and emitted two green beams from his eyes. Evieor became intangible and they hit the ground instead, leaving a large hole.

Danny looked around, but his enemy was out of his view. Suddenly, something hard collided with his chin and sent him flying upwards. Quickly recovering from the hit, Danny turned over, expecting Evieor to try to hit him in the back from above. Sure enough, he was right.

The ghost had already aimed a punch, but the halfa caught it with his hand and emitted another two beams from his eyes. His enemy moved his head and dodged the attack, but Danny had grabbed a hold of his other hand and both ghosts were now trying to push the other back. It was easier for Evieor since Danny was below him and gravity was fighting against him.

However, just before he could push him down, Danny bent back and pulled Evieor with him so that they were falling headfirst into the ground. Still, they continued to struggle. For the third time, Danny created two beams from his eyes, but this time they hit the target.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Danny pulled away and flew back up. Evieor didn't have a chance to do the same so he tilted his body just enough for him to land on his back instead of his head. The impact caused a loud and massive vibration. Danny was able to feel it in the wind.

He looked down and expected to see his fallen rival, but when the smoke cleared, he was gone. He sensed a sudden movement beside him and turned around just in time to see a vision of black and grey. Evieor's fist collided with his face and sent him falling back through the wind.

Fortunately, Danny fell from a high height and was able to slow down before he reached the ground. The landing was smoother than it would've been, but he could still feel the familiar jab in his back as the pain from the earlier attacks that night shot through him. It disappeared instantly, but Evieor had enough time to reach him.

He flew down at full speed and pulled back his arm, curling his fingers into a fist. Danny looked up and gasped. Black energy appeared around his clenched hand and he brought it forward to punch.

The halfa bent down and covered his head. He created a shield just as Evieor released his attack. The beam turned into a vast blast that obliterated most of the ground around him. He could even feel his shield start to disappear and had to throw in extra effort to keep it from doing so. Finally, the blast ended, leaving a lot of dust and smoke floating around. Danny fell to his knees and took three deep breaths until the smoke cleared and he saw Evieor standing beside him. A smirk formed on his bruised face.

Danny narrowed his eyes and got to his feet. Shouting out angrily, he emitted a ghost ray, but Evieor caught his hand and punched him again. He fell back and ground his teeth. His vision was starting to get blurry. He blinked several times to clear it up, but then five cold fingers closed around his wrist and pulled him up. He held Danny's legs with his other hand and pulled him up above him.

Danny tried to break free, but as soon as the intangibility began to kick in, Evieor sent a shock through him. He cried out in agony and became tangible again.

"This battle is over," Evieor declared. "I've won."

He flew up into the air and stopped high enough for Danny to feel the wind blowing harshly against his skin, slapping him in the face like pretty much everything else that night. The rain was pouring continually. He closed his eyes and allowed it to wash away all of his rage. A faint smile formed on his lips as his worries slowly started to disappear.

His anger — his frustration — it was all weighing him down. Pressing down until he was left with no strength to continue. It wasn't his key to fighting better. After a few hits, the tables had turned completely and he was left struggling. But that wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

"I didn't come this far to be beaten by _you_," he said, phasing through Evieor's grasp. He looked up at his now empty hands and gritted his teeth in anger.

"Where are you Phantom?"

"Up here."

Evieor looked up and gasped as a green flash caught his sight. It hit him hard and knocked him several feet down. Just as he recovered from the first, another blast hit him. Danny continued throwing them at him until he was sure that he and his rival were a great distance apart.

"You missed me," Evieor whispered. He gasped in fright and turned around. The ghost was right behind him. He grabbed Danny's wrist and emitted a purple glow from his hand. It made contact with his skin and the halfa screamed. His shout echoed through the skies and Evieor laughed.

Danny could feel tears forming in his eyes from the pain. He wasn't even aware that he was still screaming. His mind was focusing on one thing.

There was a tap on Evieor's shoulder and he turned around. Three glowing fists made contact with his face and sent him hurtling backwards. His grip on Danny loosened and he pulled away. His entire wrist was green and he could feel blood traveling down to his fingers.

Suddenly, the vivid dark blue sky changed instantly to a softer and deeper color and several clouds appeared, pouring rain down on the town. The dark abyss had disappeared and a full view of Amity Park — the real Amity Park — was visible. Though it still seemed damaged and ruined in many ways, it looked almost all right compared to what it had been just a second ago with the effects of the constant battling.

Danny's heart rose with hope, but just as quickly, the darkness returned, along with the severe damages to the city. The sky was back to being a dull lifeless blue-black.

"What the heck?" Danny's voice echoed. He looked around and nearly screamed (had it not been for the fact that his throat was hoarse from his previous shout, he would've). There, right in front of him, were three other Danny Phantoms, all staring back at him, though without the green wrist.

"I-I did it!" he exclaimed gleefully, but the other three Danny's gasped and his smile immediately disappeared. Something hit him hard from behind and knocked him into the ground. His unstable clones returned to him and left him lying there as one Danny again. He moaned and sat up.

To no surprise, Evieor was hovering above him. Danny heard two pairs of footsteps and turned around in alarm. His heart lifted with bliss again at the sight of his two best friends.

"Need a hand?" Tucker offered. Danny smiled and stood up.

"Like my answer to that would change your minds," he responded. "How's the battle going?"

"Psh, we're kicking their butts," Tucker said happily. He looked up at Evieor and raised his weapon. "How's everything with Dracula?"

"He's not backing down. I've tried almost everything."

"What you're doing now isn't working," Sam stated. "You're just hitting each other. All you're doing is making yourselves weak. If you want to win this, do have to do what you did last time."

Danny raised a brow and looked back up at Evieor. He seemed to be watching them.

"What's _last time_?" he asked.

"The end of the first Ghost War," she told him. "That final attack."

He thought back to the end of the previous war and remembered the shield. But there was only one reason why he was able to end it that quickly.

"I had the town's support last time," he said. "I don't have that now."

"Yeah . . . but you've got us," Tucker reminded him, but Sam frowned.

"I don't know how we're gonna fight from the ground," she said. Danny's head shot up in remembrance and he smiled.

"Don't worry about that," he assured. He stretched out his good hand towards his two friends and concentrated on levitation. The first try was unsuccessful and he tried again, but still nothing happened. Sam and Tucker glanced at each other as he made another useless attempt.

"Darn it!" he shouted out in frustration, causing a surge of energy to pass through his fingers. His friends screamed in shock and he looked back at them.

Two clear orbs were suspended around them, almost like shields. They were hovering above the ground. Sam titled her body upward and it moved with her, carrying her higher into the sky.

"Whoa, I could definitely get used to this."

"Look out!" Danny shouted as a black beam of energy shot towards her. She panicked and he flew in front of her to block the attack.

Tucker joined them and fired his weapon. A green beam shot out of it and advanced on the ghost, but he disappeared and circled around them in a black blur.

Sam looked around frantically. He was starting to close in on her. Danny noticed and flew down. He pulled her with him as he dived and dodged Evieor as he lunged forward for the attack.

"Tucker—"

"On it," his friend called back, firing again. Evieor created a barrier of smoke before him and the beam phased through it. He then flew forward and appeared behind Tucker in less than a second.

By the time the teen had noticed the ghoul behind him, Evieor's hand had already closed around his neck. Danny started to panic. His enemy was targeting his friends.

"Leave him alone!" he yelled angrily. He let go of Sam and flew up to free Tucker, but someone else had beaten him to it.

A red beam of ectoplasm headed straight for the specter, but he held out his free hand and created a black shield. Danny flew past, grabbed Tucker, and moved out of the way as another beam was fired.

He looked down and saw Valerie heading straight for them with an ecto-gun. Just below her, a crowd was starting to gather. But this one consisted of only humans.

"What's going on?" Sam asked when he and Tuck reached her.

"I don't know," Danny replied, watching them attentively. All of Amity Park's citizens had all gathered below to watch the battle. Several of them were firing their own weapons. Evieor stretched his hands out and created a barrier around himself. The various missiles, beams, and other forms of energy hit the shield and exploded on impact. A thick gray smoke was beginning to form around it due to the explosions. They stopped firing and waited until it cleared.

Evieor let his guard down and looked back at them. Narrowing his eyes angrily, he raised one hand and created another black beam. The people began shooting again, but their missiles never reached him.

The black light expanded until practically the whole sky was hidden behind it. Gradually, the crowd began to diminish as people started running for cover. The fewer brave ones continued fighting. Even Valerie had enough sense to maintain her distance and returned to battling from the ground.

"No!" Danny yelled. It was him Evieor wanted. Not them. He flew down and emitted his own green ectoplasm. Evieor released his blast and Danny closed his eyes.

It collided with his shield and he jolted back a few feet. There were several panicked screams from below. He ground his teeth and stopped. He was pushing against the shield which was now holding back the blast.

Evieor screamed in rage and used his other hand as well. The blast grew steadily larger and he could feel it pushing down on him.

"Don't let him win!" someone shouted to him. He shut his eyes tightly and pushed harder. His whole body was beginning to shake. That blast was at least thirty times larger than he was. If he let it go, the remainder of Amity Park would be completely obliterated.

"I . . . agh! I can't!" Danny choked, slowly beginning to lose his control. His shield was beginning to fade, but he put more energy into it.

There were several gasps from below and the same voice shouted, "Don't give in to him, Danny!"

The shield began to move towards him, but he remained still. His arms were slowly beginning to bend and soon, his body was against the barrier. If he let go, not only would the town be destroyed, but he'd be the first to go.

Danny could feel the warmth of the energy against the side of his face. He was now lying flat against it, trying hard not to release it.

"_What makes you think you can _possibly_ defeat me?"_ Evieor's voice echoed in the back of his mind. He pressed his eyes shut tighter.

"_Determination," _his own voice replied. Danny tried to shake the noises out of his head, but it was no use. They were coming just like the images. Why was it that whenever he closed his eyes, this was what happened?

_Because this is what you need to know, _a feeling deep within responded.

_But why?_

"_And what exactly is it that motivates you?"_

Danny slowly opened his eyes.

"Everything I'm fighting for," he whispered aloud.

That was it. That was how he won his battle last time. And that's exactly what he was doing now. He couldn't lose. "_I won't!_"

"Danny!" Sam called out desperately. He blinked a few times and lifted his face off the shield to see her better. They were floating in the air, right beside his fading shield.

'_Move out of the way!'_ he wanted to shout, but they couldn't. It was as if someone had stopped time around them, keeping them still.

Evieor . . .

Danny closed his eyes again and put his face back against his shield. Maybe, if he focused hard enough, he'd be able to reach Evieor's energy. After all, it was becoming practically one with his green barrier.

He put all of his concentration on trying to gain control of his opponent's blast. Slowly, it began to move. The sides of it were moving closer to the center, towards him and away from his friends. The people below began separating and ran aside as the black energy focused on one particular spot now . . . Danny Phantom.

"What's he doing?" Tucker said frantically. Sam's heart filled with dread. She knew exactly what he was doing but couldn't find the voice to answer.

A few times, her lip quivered. Tucker kept his gaze on his best friend and then gasped, figuring out what was going on.

Jazz looked up in fright. Her brother was the center of the blast, but she could tell that Evieor wasn't the reason why.

"He summoned the energy toward himself," she muttered to herself, now beginning to realize what he was doing. "Danny, NO!"

She tried to run towards him to make sure she'd take the hit too if he let go, but someone grabbed her arms and pulled her back. She struggled, but more people began to hold her.

"We have to stop him!" she yelled. "Stand beneath him or he'll—"

Danny took a deep breath and moved his face off of the shield. He turned his head to look at it, and at the black force behind it. It had taken a lot of strength to move Evieor's blast the first time and he wasn't going to risk doing it again, even though he felt stronger now more than ever. If he did this right. . .

Gathering as much courage as he could find within himself, Danny let go of the shield with one hand and held it up so that his palm was facing it, but was not against it. Then, narrowing his eyes, he removed the other hand and held it slightly over his head, tilting his body to the side. The shield disappeared at once, leaving nothing but darkness in his sight as it advanced toward him.

Tucker's eyes widened in fright and his jaw dropped.

"NO!" Jazz and Sam cried out at once. The people holding her back loosened their grip and stared wide eyed. She broke free of their grasp and ran forward.

Danny gritted his teeth and braced himself for the attack. In less than a second, the massive blast surrounded him and he disappeared within the black energy.

Jazz clenched her hands into fists and stood her ground, ready to take the hit next. The force of the wind blew her hair back and she narrowed her eyes, but her expression did not change. She wore a determined look, despite the tears that were now pouring out of her eyes. If it took her brother, it was going to have to take her too.

However, it never reached the ground. For some reason, the black mass stopped in midair, right after it made contact with Danny. Slowly, people began lifting their heads to see what was going on. Sam and Tucker leaned forward in confusion. Everyone's attention was now focused on that one scene.

Suddenly, the black energy began to move, startling a few of the citizens, though this time it wasn't heading towards them. It seemed to be getting smaller. Soon, it was small enough to reveal a shadowed figure.

Sam's eyes widened in amazement. She could've sworn it looked like Danny. And she was right.

Danny Phantom, still levitating in the same spot he had 'disappeared' in about ten seconds ago, was holding his hand out. His other hand was raised near his head and was curled into a fist.

Finally, the depleting energy disappeared into his outstretched palm. He had absorbed the blast. The figures below stood motionless and speechless at what they had seen. Even Evieor seemed at a loss.

Without warning, Danny screamed out in rage and swung his other fist forward, opening it up to release a very powerful green blast identical to the first except nearly twice as large.

Jazz shut her eyes immediately to avoid being blinded and turned away. Judging by the movements beside her, everyone else had done the same.

The only noise that could be heard now was her brother's furious cry as he unleashed Evieor's attack right back at him. And then, as expected, another scream was heard. Danny's rebounded attack had hit its target.

Evieor's gray eyes became completely black as he began to fade away. Waves of black energy were leaving his body and then soon, he disappeared as a flash of green light engulfed him. His last cry echoed through the firmament.

The green light gradually faded away, revealing a soft dark blue sky patched with many stars and a few light gray clouds. A gentle drizzle was descending upon them. Danny could feel wet strands of hair falling over his eyes. Just like before, the rain was washing away his wounds. He felt blissful floating there. It was over. They had won.

"Danny!" Tucker called. Danny was pulled out of his thoughts and turned his head to the left to see his two best friends, now gliding toward him. The orbs were starting to disappear. He reached out a hand and grabbed them both before they fell.

"Do you hear that?" Sam asked him as he pulled them up beside him. He listened carefully and realized that people were cheering —for _him_. It was a pleasant thing to hear.

"It's about time," said Tucker. Danny laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Congratulations, Halfa."

He turned around — pulling Sam and Tucker with him — and saw a group of ghosts floating around him. Desiree was the one who had congratulated him.

"Thanks," he muttered. "I couldn't have done it without you guys, though."

Sana turned away in disgust.

"Don't get sentimental yet. There's still one more thing we have to do."

Danny's heart skipped a beat.

"What?" he asked frantically. She smirked and rose higher into the air. He, Sam, and Tucker exchanged worried glances.

"Just think of it as gift for all of your trouble," the ghost called from above as she raised her hands. A dark red light appeared around her and soon, thick scarlet smoke. His eyes widened in realization and he quickly pulled Sam and Tucker close to him and formed a green shield around them.

He saw Valerie below doing the same, only her shield was created by one of her various gadgets. Star ran past her and called out to him, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Suddenly, she fell to her knees, holding her head, as well as everyone else on the ground. Danny was familiar with this. It had happened to him before. Within seconds, the smog had formed around them all, separating them from each others' view.

There was another flash of red and he turned around. The force of it was so powerful it had sent him, Sam, _and _Tucker flying back. His shield disappeared right after it, but he didn't get the full effect of the attack.

"Danny?" he heard Sam say, but he was steadily growing weaker and loosened his grasp. He let go of them and continued to fall. He narrowed his eyes as the wind pushed against him. The breeze felt nice, but it was bound to end soon.

And then a searing pain spread through his head as his vision faded to black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"_So what's next, ghost boy?"_

"_I made a promise . . . I made a choice to be the hero. And the hero never gives up."_

"_Not then, not now, not EVER!"_

"_Powers or not, I promise I won't lose!"_

"_I want you out of my way. Nothing more to it."_

_"So this . . . this is Amity's hero?"_

"_He kept talking about an army of ghosts before you came." _

"_Doesn't look like I have any other choice. I guess I'll have to fight back."_

_"I knew it! Never trust a ghost!"_

"_I didn't do anything to you! It was—" _

_"You-You don't think she might've . . . you know?"_

"_I'M GOING GHOST!" _

"_How on earth did you manage to pull that off?" _

"_No! We can't let them win." _

_"Life gets so complicated when you're a teenager."_

"_It's the only way. . ." _

"_Danny? Danny, get up!"_

"Danny. . ."

Danny groaned and opened his eyes. A darkly dressed girl was standing above him. On the other side of the bed was an African American boy. He blinked and looked back at them, now able to see clearly. He looked around, noticing that the room was painted white and there were a few more beds around him, aligned neatly against the wall. Curtains were hanging around them. He and his friends weren't the only ones in the room.

"Sam, Tucker, what happened?"

Sam sat down on the bed beside him.

"I don't know for sure. One minute we were celebrating and then the next — are you okay?"

Danny, who had put a hand to his forehead, looked up at her and nodded.

"Yeah, just a serious case of déjà vu. What happened with Sana?"

This time, Tucker was the one to answer.

"We don't know. I remember I passed out. I woke up about thirty minutes ago. Sam was already awake, but you weren't."

"You landed on your head," she informed. "I was afraid you were never going to wake up."

"Well, it jogged my memory a bit," Danny said, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up.

"Speaking of memory," Tucker said quickly. "Something's wrong with the town. Your parents came in a few minutes ago to see how you were. I heard your mom saying something like, _'The whole thing is such a blur to me. All I remember is a battle. That Phantom kid was there.'_ It was really weird."

"She's not the only one," Sam added. "A few of the other patients woke up recently. They were talking with their parents. I heard Paulina's dad telling her that he woke up on the street outside and had to carry her here. The same thing happened with our parents."

"Wait, wait, wait," Danny said, now growing more confused. "You mean to tell me that people are forgetting everything?"

"Not _everything_," Sam corrected. "But they definitely don't remember that you're Danny Phantom. Dash woke up mumbling that he had a dream that you were the ghost kid."

"That one detail seemed to be hazy to them all. Sort of like a fading remembrance," Sam added. Danny smiled. He would have to thank Sana when he got the chance.

"So, everything's okay now," she said, looking out at the window. "Well, the town's still battered up, but a lot less than it was during the last few battles. What do you say we head down to the Nasty Burger and relax?"

"I'm definitely up for that," Tucker agreed immediately.

"Me too."

The hospital room doors opened and the three teens turned around. Maddie, Jack, and Jazz walked in. Their faces lit up when they saw him awake and all three of them ran to embrace him.

"Sweetie, you're awake. Oh thank goodness, I thought. . ."

Her voice trailed off and Danny smiled.

". . . that I'd be sleeping until the end of summer vacation? Come on, Mom, I've got ten months of school next year to sleep through. Summer's actually important to me."

That lightened her mood. She laughed and stroked his face gently.

"I'm so glad you're all right. You know, I had the weirdest dream—"

"Uh — I'd love to hear about, but not now," Danny interrupted quickly. If she spoke about it out loud, then his father and pretty much everyone else would've heard and realized that they all dreamt of him being Danny Phantom. And it wouldn't be hard to put two and two together after that. "Sam, Tuck, and I are gonna go hang out at the Nasty Burger. I'll see you guys later."

Before she could say anything to stop him, he jumped out of the bed, grabbed his shoes, and ran out of the room with Sam and Tucker. Once in the hallway, the three friends slowed down.

"Danny wait," Jazz called. By the time he stopped and turned around, she was already right behind him.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" she asked softly. He shook his head and smiled. "So what happened, then?"

"Jazz, don't do this to me. I've already got a million things on my mind right now . . . not to mention the splitting headache."

"What heada—?" Tucker began, but he elbowed him. Jazz gave him an awkward look and then let it go.

"Fine, you can tell me when you want."

She turned around and walked back into the room while the three teens went in the opposite direction and headed for the main teen hangout of Amity Park.

"Hey, do you think Valerie forgot too?" Sam asked hopefully when they entered the restaurant. Danny looked over her shoulder and she turned around to see what he was staring at. There, a few tables away from the window, sat a teenage girl. The radiant glow of the sunlight peaking in through the glass left nothing but a silhouette. Danny squinted to try to make out the figure. He was pretty sure it was Val. As the clouds moved through the sky, the light soon began to disappear and Danny was able to confirm it was her.

She was reaching into a brown paper bag. When she looked up and noticed the three teens watching her, she smiled back and waved. Danny could've sworn he saw her wink before the light returned and shone in his eyes.

He turned away and saw Star walking with Paulina. They stopped at the register to take their order.

"Oh, I forgot to thank Star."

"Don't bother," Sam said. "She'll probably think it was all a dream anyway."

"They only dreamt that he was Danny Phantom. But the battle is still real to them," Tucker stated.

"And besides, she's known who I was even before this incident."

Before she could stop him, Danny took a few steps forward to greet Star, who was now walking over to a table with her meal.

"Hey Star. Listen, about the past couple of months, I—"

"Uh, not to be rude or anything," Star interrupted, "but why are you talking to me?"

Danny raised a brow at her response and asked, "What?"

She gave him one last look and walked away when Paulina arrived muttering, "Freak."

Now more confused than ever, he turned back to his friends, but they merely shrugged.

"Am I missing something?" he asked, sitting down at an empty table.

"Don't ask me, dude. I have no idea," Tucker said.

"Wait a minute! She was right next to Valerie when Sana used her attack. Val shielded herself, but Star was left wide open. She was the closest too," Danny whispered. "So she probably forgot more than the others."

"Ah, whatever," Sam said, obviously trying to get off the topic of Star. Danny looked up at her suspiciously and grinned. Maybe he wasn't so clueless after all. She stood up to order and the two followed, but he kept his gaze on her.

"Well, it looks like everything's finally back to normal," Sam said, turning to him. Danny immediately looked away and smiled. His cheeks were clearly red.

"Not everything," he mumbled. And to his surprise, her cheeks flushed as well.

"I'm sensing a little bond between you two," Tucker interrupted. Sam turned to him and glared.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she snapped as Danny began dragging them to the counter.

"You know darn well what it means," Tucker teased as he followed behind. "You like him."

And to no surprise, that was followed by a smack from both of them.

"Hey, it's true," he said defensively, rubbing his arm. "You always have."

She raised her hand again, but Danny held her back.

"Ignore him or he'll never stop."

"I'm not stopping until you both admit that you like each other and always have."

"Have not," they said in unison, looking over their shoulders at him as they walked.

"Did too," Tucker insisted. Danny sighed and ignored him, but Sam didn't give in.

"Did not," she insisted childishly.

"Did too!"

"Nuh uh."

"Don't deny it."

"I'm gonna hurt you."

"Just admit that you did."

"Shut up!"

"Did — OW!"

"Didn't."

"Did," Danny muttered, a faint smile creeping onto his face as he looked back at his arguing friends who, apparently, had not heard.

* * *

_The end of _Fading Remembrance_! But the beginning for Sam and Danny. Heh. . . For anyone who's wondering, yes I used quotes from both _Fading Remembrance_ and _Amity's Hero. _Okay, well, once again, THANKS TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! I enjoyed writing this for you. Please review and . . . well, it's 10:27 for me right now so Good Night!_


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